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By Isabel van Brugen
News Reporter
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Ukraine has downed a second Russian Su-25 ground attack aircraft in five days, according to Kyiv's military.
Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces said Tuesday it shot down the fighter jet near Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region as the enemy aircraft was "trying to fire at the positions of units of the Defense Forces."
"Another enemy Su-25 was shot down by our anti-aircraft guns in Donetsk region," the unit said, sharing combat footage of the incident.
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Russia's air force has suffered extensive casualties throughout the war in Ukraine. In February, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said its military had downed six Russian fighter jets in just three days.
Newsweek couldn't independently verify when or where the footage was filmed and reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
The Context
Russia's Air Force has suffered extensive casualties throughout President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. In February of this year, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said its military had downed six Russian fighter jets in just three days.
The head of the United States' European Command, General Christopher Cavoli, told U.S. lawmakers in April that Moscow had lost around 10 percent of its aircraft fleet in the war.
What We Know
Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces said in a statement on Telegram that anti-aircraft soldiers from a separate mechanized brigade recently destroyed another Su-25 attack aircraft.
The Soviet-era Su-25, also known by the NATO reporting name Frogfoot, is manufactured by Russia's Sukhoi Design Bureau and has been used extensively by Moscow's forces in the war. It is capable of destroying stationary and small mobile ground targets.
"Thanks to the accuracy and professionalism of our anti-aircraft fighters, today the Russian aviation has decreased by one more combat aircraft - the Su-25 attack aircraft," the unit said.
On Friday, the Khortytsia group of forces said another Su-25 fighter jet was shot down by anti-aircraft guns from Ukraine's 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade near Pokrovsk.
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"Thanks to the accuracy, skill and professionalism of our anti-aircraft fighters, today the Russian aviation has decreased by one combat aircraft—the Su-25 attack aircraft," the Khortytsia group wrote on Telegram.
Dutch open-source intelligence defense analysis website Oryx has visually confirmed that 107 Russian aircraft have been destroyed and 12 damaged since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
Oryx has also visually confirmed that 93 Ukrainian aircraft have been destroyed since the beginning of the war, with three damaged and one captured.
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in an update on Tuesday that Moscow had lost 362 aircraft since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Newsweek couldn't independently verify Kyiv's figures.
Views
Ukraine's military shared the combat footage on X, formerly Twitter, writing: "Russian planes continue to fall. The warriors from the 110th Mechanized Brigade shot down a russian Su-25 jet in the Donetsk region. Great shot!"
Another video that appears to capture the moment of impact was shared on X by the open-source intelligence account OSINTtechnical.
"Earlier today, a Ukrainian MANPADS team from the 110th Mechanized Brigade successfully shot down a Russian Su-25 attack jet over Donetsk Oblast," the account said. "A circling Ukrainian drone captured the stricken Russian aircraft slamming into the ground nearby."
What's Next?
The combat aircraft was downed over Ukraine's Donetsk region, which, together with the Luhansk region, comprises the Donbas area. The Kremlin has been pushing for the total capture of the regions since Russia's initial invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Ukraine, meanwhile, continues to use long-range drones to target military bases on Russian soil, which are reported to host Moscow's fighter jets. Kyiv says Russia's military bases are legitimate targets in the war.
Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via worldnews@newsweek.com.
Update 7/23/24, 7:15 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 7/23/24, 7:24 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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