Russia Just Lost Three Su-34 Bombers in One Day

Ukraine claimed three more Russian Su-34 bombers downed on Friday, all in the southern area of operations which has been the focus of Kyiv's counteroffensive efforts over the past six months.

The Ukrainian military published the claim—made by Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk—on social media on Friday. This brings the total number of Russian aircraft Kyiv claims to have destroyed since February 2022 to 327.

Newsweek cannot independently verify the figure and has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry by email.

The war in Ukraine has been costly for Russia's air force, despite its numerical superiority. The Oryx open-source intelligence tracker has reported 21 Su-34 strike aircraft destroyed since February 2022, among a total of 88 downed military planes. Oryx lists 77 destroyed Ukrainian aircraft over the same period.

Unconfirmed reports on the pro-war Russian Military Informant Telegram channel attributed Friday's three destroyed Su-34 aircraft to a U.S.-made MIM-104 Patriot air defense system, the first of which arrived in Ukraine in April.

The losses—if confirmed—add to a painful picture for the Russian air force. Moscow has been unable to suppress Ukrainian aerial operations despite its much larger air force and the claimed potency of long-range missiles that were expected to be used to destroy Kyiv's aircraft on the ground in the opening hours of the full-scale invasion.

The arrival of Western anti-aircraft systems, among them the Patriots, have only exacerbated a frustrating situation for Russian pilots in Ukraine, who reports suggest now rarely risk operating in Ukrainian or contested airspace.

Russia's air force has suffered several particularly costly days in recent months. Last weekend, for example, an Su-34 and an Su-25 close air support aircraft were destroyed within 24 hours, the latter as a result of friendly fire.

And in May, Kyiv credited one of its Patriot anti-aircraft systems with shooting down three helicopters and two jets in a single day.

Ukrainian leaders want to make the skies even more dangerous for Russian pilots in the coming months and years, and as winter settles are pressing Western partners to provide more anti-aircraft capabilities and aircraft.

During a visit to Washington, D.C., earlier in December, Andriy Yermak—the head of Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelensky's office—told a United States Institute of Peace event: "We still need air defense, it's critically important."

"If we receive it, you can see the results," Yermak added, making special mention of the performance of the Patriot systems.

"We're the best promoter for the many American weapons," Yermak said.

Ukraine expects to further boost its aerial offering in 2024 with the receipt of American-made F-16 fighter aircraft from Western backers. Ukrainian pilots are currently undergoing training on the aircraft, with the first plane expected in Ukrainian skies from spring 2024.

"I would suspect that the F-16s in Ukrainian hands will represent a formidable challenge," David Jordan, co-director of the Freeman Air and Space Institute at King's College London, told Newsweek in May.

Update 12/22/23, 9:10 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with further details.

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