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Air Force: Ukraine shoots down 2 Russian fighter jets

by Nate Ostiller and The Kyiv Independent news desk February 19, 2024 12:19 PM 1 min read

A Russian Su-34 fighter jet in the sky over Kubinka airfield in Moscow Oblast in Russia on Aug. 29, 2020. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Mihail Tokmakov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Ukraine shot down two Russian fighter jets on the morning of Feb. 19, the Air Force reported.

According to the Air Force, the two planes were a Su-34 and a Su-35S.

The destruction of the jets is the latest in a recent uptick of downed Russian planes, including a Beriev A-50 military observation plane in January, which reportedly cost $330 million to produce. Three Russian fighter jets, two Su-34s and a Su-35, were shot down on Feb. 17, the Air Force said.

The Sukhoi Su-35 is a single-seater aircraft, and the Su-34 is a two-seater.

Russia has lost over 330 planes since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Feb. 19.

There are signs that the uptick in aircraft losses has caused Russia to change its aerial strategy, reducing the number of sorties flown by Russia's Air Force, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in December 2023.

Authors: Nate Ostiller, The Kyiv Independent news desk

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