Ukrainian air defenses have targeted Russian warplanes in eastern Ukraine, including Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bombers and Su-35 fighters, and have now launched explosive drone attacks on a Russian air base in Morozovsk, western Russia. The campaign is part of a wider effort to counter Russia's use of Sukhoi fighter-bombers, particularly in their glide-bombing campaign, which has been devastating for Ukraine. The Ukrainian air force has taken risks to deploy its best air defenses, including Patriot systems, but suffered losses, prompting a shift in tactics to target the bombers on the ground. Russia's air defenses are spread thin, leaving vulnerabilities for Ukrainian drone raids.
Russia's military aviation capabilities have suffered another blow with the crash of a Sukhoi Su-34 fighter jet in Ukraine's Kherson region, marking the ninth Russian aircraft lost in recent days. Additionally, a fire at a Moscow plant producing Sukhoi fighter jets was reported. Ukrainian forces claimed to have downed a Russian A-50U long-range radar detection aircraft near the Sea of Azov, while also stating that they had destroyed a total of 340 Russian jets since the start of the war. The Russian military has not commented on these claims.
The Ukrainian air force has reportedly shot down six Russian fighter-bombers, including four Sukhoi Su-34s and two Su-35s, in just three days using their dwindling supply of Patriot air-defense missiles. This high rate of loss for the Russian air force is unsustainable, with 95 jets lost since February 2022 and a recent rate of 60 per month. However, the Ukrainian stock of Patriots is dropping to a critical level, potentially impacting their capacity to continue shooting down Russian warplanes.
