Putin’s forces lost three military helicopters and two planes over its own territory, Kyiv claims
Putin’s forces lost three military helicopters and two planes over Russian territory after being shot down by their own air defenses, Ukraine’s air force says.
- Colonel Yurii claimed that Russian defenses downed three helicopters and two jets
- Russia did not clarify the crash and did not mention it in an operational briefing
Russia’s air defense has shot down five of its own planes “almost simultaneously,” the Ukrainian air force has claimed.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia shot down three of its own helicopters and two fighter jets over the Bryansk region, close to the Ukrainian border, on Saturday.
It comes after Russian state media reported that a Su-34 and a Su-35 fighter jet and two Mi-8 helicopters had been ‘shot down’ in the region.
The fighter jets “were to carry out a missile and bomb attack on targets in the Chernihiv region of Ukraine,” the channel said.
But Russia’s Defense Ministry has not cleared up the dispute and did not mention it in its operational update today, claiming only that it had shot down a Ukrainian fighter jet elsewhere.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia shot down three of its own helicopters and two fighter jets over the Bryansk region, close to the Ukrainian border, on Saturday. In the photo: a helicopter over Bryansk
Bryansk regional governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram on Saturday that a helicopter had crashed in the Bryansk town of Klintsy and a woman had been injured.
But Bogomaz also made no reference to other reported crashes in Bryansk.
Russia’s state news agency TASS said engine problems were to blame, citing Russian authorities.
On Saturday, Russian outlet Readovka reported that four aircraft were downed, including two Mi-8 helicopters, killing nine crew members. It was a “massive loss to Russian aviation,” the outlet said.
Russian reports say that the pilot and navigator in the Su-34, which crashed in the village of Istrovka near Starodub, failed to eject and were killed.
Video showed a missile hitting an Mi-8 helicopter exploding and crashing to Earth in flames. Helicopter crew members were also killed, reports said.
Bryansk regional governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram on Saturday that a helicopter had crashed in the Bryansk town of Klintsy and a woman had been injured.
In one of the images, the helicopter appears to have been hit sideways as a wave of flame bursts through the rotorcraft, leaving a trail of black smoke.
Russian media initially claimed that the crashed helicopter had engine fire on footage rather than being hit by a missile.
Meanwhile, the crashes sparked anger among Russian pro-war experts who argue that Putin’s high command has failed to conduct the war properly.
Igor ‘Strelkov Girkin – a long champion of all mobilization and martial law – said sarcastically: “Today’s heavy losses of our aviation in the Bryansk region due to the actions of the enemy led some bloggers to the brilliant and completely unexpected idea that we have to fight the enemy. Well, who would have thought?’
He blames the Kremlin for not declaring full-scale war or putting Russia on a warpath.
Meanwhile, the crashes sparked anger among Russian pro-war experts who argue that Putin’s high command has failed to conduct the war properly.
Pictured: Russian Su-35 fighter jets fly over Moscow for a World War II victory parade
A Russian Air Force Su-34. Ukraine claims Russia shot down two of its own fighter jets on Saturday