Russian air defense systems destroyed two MiG-29s and one Su-25 warplane, the Ministry of Defense has said
FILE PHOTO: A technician looks at a Ukrainian MIG-29 fighter. © SERGEI SUPINSKY / AFP
Russian forces have shot down three Ukrainian warplanes in a single day, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow said on Tuesday.
The ministry claimed that air defense systems had destroyed two Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets over Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Kherson Region. In the latter area, Russian forces also downed an Su-25 close-support aircraft, the ministry added.
Meanwhile, the Russian military intercepted eight US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) missiles and took down six Ukrainian drones that had been operating within the zone of Moscow’s military operation, the ministry stated.
According to the Ministry of Defense, Russian forces have destroyed a total of 416 warplanes, 230 helicopters, and almost 4,000 unmanned aerial vehicles since the start of the conflict with Kiev in February of last year.
While sustaining losses, Ukraine has received a number of Soviet-era MiG-29 jets from its Western backers, most notably Slovakia and Poland. The two countries have pledged to support Kiev with around two dozen jets, with the first deliveries already beginning to arrive.
Ukraine has on numerous occasions called for its allies to deliver modern warplanes such as F-16s, although its requests have thus far not been granted.
Russia has repeatedly warned the West that arms deliveries to Ukraine will only prolong the conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted in early February that Western deliberations about sending warplanes to Kiev not only highlight their “growing involvement” in the hostilities, but also lead to rising tensions.
