Ukraine Shoots Down Fourth Russian Fighter Jet in Two Weeks: Kyiv

Ukraine said on Saturday that it had taken down a Russian Su-25 jet, making it the fourth in two weeks.

The 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade, a unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, posted about its soldiers' reported victory.

The Su-25 is a Soviet-era jet used to provide air support and destroy specific targets. They are equipped with aerial guns, aerial bombs, unguided air-to-ground missiles, and guided air-to-air missiles.

The post said: "Anti-aircraft forces from the 110th Brigade are continuing to punish [Russian aircraft] for illegally crossing the border.

"Another enemy Su-25 has been downed! Its remains are smoldering in Donetsk Oblast.

"Our skies will become hell for the occupying pilots!"

It shared an animation of a Russian jet exploding into four smaller jets with the word "destroyed" stamped on each of them.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously said the other aircraft were brought down on May 13, May 11 and May 4.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Ministry of Defense for comment.

The Donetsk region, where the latest jet was downed, has long been part of the front line in the war, which started in February 2022.

Along with Luhansk, Donetsk makes up the greater Donbas area, a region Moscow is seemingly prioritizing for military actions, with Russian President Vladimir Putin's focus on the largely Russian-speaking east.

It comes as Ukraine also launched a major attack against Russia, reportedly halting the operations at an oil refinery in the southern region of Slavyansk.

This was done with at least nine U.S. ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) and an estimated 60 drones.

Russia's Ministry of Defense said it destroyed the ATACMS, "one UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] over the territory of the Republic of Crimea, three UAVs over Belgorod Oblast, and destroyed or jammed 57 UAVs over Krasnodar Krai".

On top of this, Ukraine said it took down 37 Shahed-131/136 attack drones launched by Russia on the night of May 17.

They were destroyed over Kyiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy and Kherson, according to the Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk's Telegram post.

Despite these updates, new analysis from TheNew York Times published last week paints a bleaker overall picture for Ukraine.

Last May, Kyiv reported that it was intercepting more than 80 percent of missiles launched at its territory.

However, that rate has dropped to "less than half," the Times said, after analyzing hundreds of Ukrainian Air Force statements released this past year.

They put the decrease, in part, to Russia "improving its tactics" and "firing larger and more complex barrages." Ukrainian commanders blame it on their declining ammunition and weapons.

Newsweek has contacted Ukraine's Ministry of Defense for comment.

On May 10, the U.S. announced a new $400-million, military-aid package for Ukraine, providing many of the weapons the country has been asking for specifically.

At the time, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement: "As President [Joe] Biden has made clear, the United States and the international coalition we have assembled will continue to stand with Ukraine in its defense of its freedom."

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