Russian Su-25 Jet's Fiery Mid-Flight Destruction Caught on Video

A video circulating on social media purports to show Ukraine downing a Russian Su-25 jet mid-flight near Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.

The five-second footage, published on Wednesday by Russian Telegram channel Supernova Plus, shows a ball of flames falling from the sky.

The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said on Wednesday that Moscow's troops had lost one aircraft in the past 24 hours, bringing Kyiv's tally of Russian aircraft lost in the war to 323.

The General Staff's situational update of the war also states that since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Moscow has lost 314,290 personnel, 5,377 tanks, 324 helicopters, 10,104 armored personnel vehicles, 7,647 artillery systems and 22 warships.

According to Dutch open-source intelligence outlet, Oryx, Russia has lost 30 of its Su-25 close-support aircraft. Oryx has also visually confirmed that Ukraine has lost 16 of its Su-25 jets.

Newsweek has not been able to independently verify the figures, and has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.

Estimates of military losses in the conflict vary widely, with figures provided by Ukraine usually outstripping those given by its Western allies. Russia rarely releases figures on its own troop losses, but when it does, its estimates are far lower than those of Ukraine.

Heavy clashes have been reported as Moscow attempts to seize the town of Avdiivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region. It has been the target of Russian aggression since 2014, when Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine.

In October, Russia mounted its biggest offensive in months in an attempt to capture Avdiivka, pouring in thousands of troops, tanks and armored vehicles.

The Institute for the Study of War think tank said on Tuesday that Russian forces were continuing offensive operations in the Avdiivka direction and had made a confirmed advance.

It said geolocated footage posted Tuesday shows that Russian forces have made a marginal advance into the Avdiivka industrial zone, about 1 kilometer southeast of the war-torn town.

Meanwhile, Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted limited and unsuccessful counterattacks near Avdiivka on Tuesday, with one Russian milblogger claiming that Ukrainian forces unsuccessfully counterattacked in the industrial zone south of the town.

Anton Kotsukon, spokesperson for Ukraine's 110th separate mechanized brigade, said on November 9 that Russia is building up reserves for a fresh push to seize Avdiivka.

"They've brought in about 40,000 men here along with ammunition," he said. "We see no sign of the Russians abandoning plans to encircle Avdiivka."

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