Ukrainian Air Force commander confirms: Russian forces mistakenly shot down their own Su‑25 aircraft
"I can confirm without hesitation that it wasn't the Ukrainian air defense that shot down the Russian Su-25 attack aircraft. It was the precise and coordinated actions of Russian artillerymen for which I extend my sincere thanks on behalf of the Ukrainian nation. Keep it up!" General announced on Telegram.
1:21 PM EST, December 18, 2023
Mix-up with Information
Prior to the publication of this information, Russian news channels on Telegram mentioned the shooting down of the Su-25 aircraft in southern Ukraine, specifically over the Mykolaiv region. Later, these same channels reported that the aircraft had crashed due to the pilot losing his spatial orientation. This information was relayed to the public through the UNIAN agency.
Ukrainian bloggers suggested that the plane crashed in the eastern part of the country, where it had been conducting an attack on Ukrainian positions alongside another aircraft.
"Concerning the downed Su-25 - I've no information that someone was targeting it (although I don't rule this out). Today, around 11 'roosters' (both having departed from Millerovo) assaulted our positions in the east, resulting in one 'rooster' crashing," wrote Ukrainian blogger Mykolaivskyj Waniok.
On Monday, Ukraine's defense forces announced the destruction of 44 tanks, 60 armored vehicles, 38 artillery systems, three missile systems, 12 drones, and 60 enemy vehicles. It was also reported that 1,090 soldiers from the invading Russian army were killed on the front line on the last day.
