Russian nightmare: Ukraine destroys six Su‑25s in less than a month

Reports of significant losses to the Russian Su-25 fleet have been frequent in the past few weeks. According to the latest reports, six such aircraft have been destroyed since October 10. Talking to Defense Express, Shtupun acknowledged that this is only a partial success. He emphasized that while Ukrainian forces can effectively combat Su-25s, the Su-35 and Su-34 models are "relatively safe, as Ukraine's air defense systems can't reach them".

Shtupun reported that the enemy is still trying to surround Avdiivka, which became a strategic location in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in 2014. However, the enemy's offensive strategies in the areas of the settlements of Novokalynove, Avdiivka, Opytne, and Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region have repeatedly failed. There, ten attacks were successfully repelled.

However, the success of Ukraine's defenses should not be underestimated. The Russians primarily use Su-25s to support their ground operations in the Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions. Severing this support could be crucial from a strategic point of view. The Su-25 is a twin-engine attack plane from the late 20th century. Although it may not boast high-tech specifications, it comes with considerable armaments.

Typically, these aircraft are fitted with a 30 mm caliber GSh-30-2 cannon. However, they can also support additional weaponry mounted on 10 pylons under the wings. The Russians most commonly equip these aircraft with laser-guided missiles, such as the Kh-25ML and Kh-29L. The total payload a Su-25 can carry is approximately 5 tons.

From the start of the war, Ukraine demonstrated that its anti-aircraft defenses present a serious challenge to Russian forces. Resultantly, enemy aircraft cannot operate freely, despite having a significant advantage over the defenders.