Members of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service (DPSU) fighting alongside the country's military shot down what was likely a Russian Su-25 fighter-bomber aircraft near Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast, DPSU spokesman Andrii Demchenko told Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda on Oct. 29.
According to Demchenko, "an anti-aircraft missile fired by border guards from a portable complex hit an air target."
"The enemy plane started to smoke, began to lose height, and disappeared over the horizon," he added, as cited by the media report.
The State Border Guard Service has not issued an official statement as of publication time.
The report about what would be the 321st Russian aircraft shot down in Ukraine, according to the General Staff's estimate, comes as Moscow intensifies its offensive on Avdiivka.
More than five months into Ukraine's counteroffensive raging in other axes, Russia appears to be focused on completely its encirclement of Avdiivka in a bid to capture the long-fought-over strategic city near occupied Donetsk.
Though Russia's progress on its renewed push on Avdiika remains minimal in comparison to its heavy losses, this complicates the already stretched-out Ukrainian forces, who now have to deploy more troops and equipment to this front while continuing its counteroffensive.
Alexander Khrebet
