Ukraine said its air forces shot down three Russian warplanes in one of its most successful military operations since the start of the conflict 22 months ago.
The three Russian Su-34 fighter jets, which are armed with guided bombs and missiles, were shot down on Friday in Ukraine’s war-torn Kherson region in the south of the country, according to reports.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ihnat praised the maneuver on national television as a “brilliantly planned operation.”
“There has been no Su-34 in our positive statistics for some time,” he said, citing the model as one of Russia’s most modern aircraft for bombing and other assaults.
Moscow did not comment on the claims, but Russian military bloggers reported the losses, according to reports. Fighterbomber, one of the most influential bloggers, reported the loss of an unspecified number of aircraft, saying they had probably been shot down by American-made Patriot missiles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that shooting down three Russian fighter jets would force Russian pilots to understand that none of them would go “unpunished” in the conflict with Ukraine. SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
During his daily television address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that shooting down the planes would force Russian pilots who attack Ukrainian targets to consider that “none of them would go unpunished,” the BBC reported.
Earlier, Zelensky cited a report from HUR, the country’s military intelligence agency, which reported a slowdown in Russia’s military capability because its supply lines have been disrupted, a fact echoed by the Defense Ministry on Saturday. from United Kingdom.
Separately, Russia warned of “serious consequences” if Europe and the United States make efforts to hand over seized Russian assets to Ukraine, a plan being discussed among Western countries. More than $300 billion of Russian Central Bank reserves were frozen in the West after Moscow’s invasion in February 2022, and all of it could be handed over to Ukraine, which is desperate for funds as the United States and European countries begin to resist continuing to support the fighting. .
The Su-34 bombers are loaded with guided bombs and missiles. AFP via Getty Images
Moscow threatened to break diplomatic relations with the United States if it confiscated Russian assets frozen under sanctions. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said the United States “should not act under the illusion that Russia is clinging with both hands to diplomatic relations with that country.”
In a press conference, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov threatened retaliation against any country that provides Russian funds to Ukraine. “Russia will never leave those who do it alone,” he reportedly said.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn