Russian warplane is shot down by one of Putin’s surface to air missiles
- Russia has suffered a series of friendly fire incidents during its war in Ukraine
According to reports, a Russian Su-25 was shot down by its own side in a new friendly fire incident.
It is suspected to have been downed by a Russian Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system.
According to the first euphoric Russian reports, a Ukrainian attack had hit Su-25.
But Ukraine's air force commander, General Mykola Oleshchuk, insisted it was a Russian plane downed by his own side.
“I can confidently say that it was not Ukrainian air defense that shot down the Russian Su-25 attack aircraft,” he said.
“These were clear and coordinated actions of Russian anti-aircraft artillery, for which many thanks from the entire Ukrainian people.”
Recent photos have shown a Russian Su-25 pilot cheating death as the plane flies over a shooting BM-21 Grad MLRS
It is suspected to have been downed by a Russian Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system (shown in a file image)
Russian reports later claimed the plane crashed while flying low in poor visibility.
According to some reports, the incident took place near Jelyzavetivka, Mykolaiv region.
The friendly fire claim follows another extraordinary recent incident in which footage nearly shot down a Russian Su-25 fighter due to sustained fire from a Grad missile launcher.
Miraculously, the plane was not hit in the dramatic sequence.
Russia has suffered a series of friendly fire nightmares during Putin's costly war against Ukraine.
In the most recent known case, Major General Vladimir Zavadsky, 45, of Russia's 14th Army Corps, was killed by one of his own landmines after being hit with friendly mortar fire while driving a military vehicle captured from the Ukrainians.
Crews of Russian Su-25 fighter jets, one of which was 'downed by friendly fire', according to reports (file image)
In a separate incident, a Russian Su-34 bomber was damaged in a kamikaze drone attack on a military airfield in the Rostov region, which borders Ukraine.
Video showed the drone attack on Morozovsk.
Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels showed photos of the shrapnel-damaged fighter plane of Vladimir Putin's 559th Guards Bomber Guards Regiment.