Ukraine in the spotlight for $50m Russian Su‑34 bomber blaze in Chelyabinsk
9:22 AM EST, January 4, 2024
As reported by PAP, sourcing information from the RBK-Ukraine portal, the Su-34 caught fire overnight from Wednesday to Thursday at the Shagol airport in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) members are considered possible suspects linked to this incident. The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has also confirmed the destruction of the bomber.
Ukraine shares the video
A video has circulated on social media showing the Russian Su-34 bomber becoming engulfed in flames. It was shared on the service X (formerly known as Twitter) by, among others, Anton Gerashchenko, the former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
The footage was first posted by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. It shows the vitality of a Ukrainian, potentially the originator of the recording, through a hand gesture while the Russian machine increasingly succumbs to the raging flames in the night.
In his comment on the footage, Herashchenko stated, "the plane belonged to the aviation regiment of the 21st mixed division of the Russian armed forces' air forces". However, he added that the causes behind the fire are currently under investigation.
The Su-34 is among the costliest machines in the Russian army's inventory. The price tag for one such bomber stands at approximately 50 million dollars. In December, Ukraine managed to decimate four other Russian Su-34s. Three of these were shot down on December 22, while the fourth one met a similar fate two days later.
