‘Burning in the Steppes of Donbas’: Ukraine Downs Russian Su-25 Attack Jet

Ukrainian antiaircraft gunners shot down a Russian Su-25 ground attack aircraft in the Donetsk region, as reported by the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops via Telegram.

“In the Pokrovsky sector, our Ukrainian servicemen shot down a Russian Su-25 aircraft that was firing at the positions of units of the Defense Forces,” the report said.

The fighter bomber was downed by antiaircraft gunners of a separate mechanized brigade named after Colonel-General Marko Bezruchko.

"Another Su-25 attack aircraft is now burning up in the steppes of the Ukrainian Donbas," the message read.

The Su-25 is a single-seat armored subsonic attack aircraft designed to provide close air support in combat zones during day and night under poor visibility and adverse weather conditions. Targets can include ground and surface objectives, as well as low-altitude, slow-moving air targets.

The report did not specify which weapon was used to down the Su-25.

Earlier, the National Guard of Ukraine reported that its soldiers had downed a Russian Su-25 ground attack aircraft in the Donetsk region. A team from the 31st brigade of the National Guard used an Igla MANPAD launcher to hit the Russian aircraft.

In February this year, reports emerged of a series of Su fighter bombers being shot down in Ukraine. A total of 12 Su planes were downed in 13 days, along with an A-50U radar aircraft.

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The Sukhoi Su-34 is Russia's premier frontline fighter bomber, designed primarily for launching laser-guided bombs or long-range guided missiles in precision strikes on ground targets. Equipped with radar for using modern Russian air-to-air missiles, the Su-34, priced at around $36 million each, is one of the Russian military's most expensive aircraft.

At the time, Forbes reported that Ukraine might soon exhaust its top-tier air defense missiles due to their role in shooting down Russian fighter aircraft. However, since then, Kyiv's partners have increased the supply of missiles, with more promised.

The repeated destruction of its aircraft is a significant setback for Russian forces, who struggle to produce more than a few dozen new warplanes each year due to foreign sanctions. Forbes assessed that they are losing combat aircraft 20 times faster than they can replace them.

Forbes speculated that Ukraine's air-defense success might be attributed to deploying US-made Patriot missile launchers, 25-mile-range NASAMS surface-to-air missile batteries, and other systems more aggressively.