Ukraine took out another Russian fighter jet, bringing its kill streak to 7 in a week

• Ukraine's Armed Forces destroyed another Russian Su-34 fighter jet, marking the seventh in a week.
• Despite having fewer and older jets, Ukraine has restricted Russia's aerial role in the conflict.
• However, Ukraine faces its own challenges, including shortages of personnel and ammunition.

Ukraine said it destroyed another Russian fighter jet on Wednesday, bringing its kill streak to seven in one week.

The commander of Ukraine's air force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, said on Wednesday that Ukraine had taken out a Su-34 fighter bomber.

"One down, we keep working," he posted on Telegram, according to a translation by Pravda. "The crew of the Su-34 has joined our Eternal Flight Brothers section."

The statement did not confirm further details, such as the location. A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force told the Kyiv Post that the plane was downed "in the eastern direction."

The air force also destroyed a Kh-59 guided air missile in Poltava in addition to 13 of the 19 attack drones launched in the regions of Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Donetsk in the early hours of Wednesday, according to a separate Telegram statement.

The announcements follow a steady stream of victories for Ukraine in the past week.

The destruction of the Su-34 marks the seventh Russian aircraft to be taken out in recent days, following three Su-34s and one Su-35 over the weekend. Another Su-34 and a Su-35S were destroyed Monday.

The Su-34 is considered Russia's best fighter-bomber, Forbes reported, adding that it's the only one of the army's jets that's able to "detect and attack pop-up targets on short notice" due to its sensors, avionics, and smart weaponry.

It also stands as one of Russia's most expensive aircraft, with a price tag of around $36 million each, according to the Kyiv Post.

Although Ukraine has fewer and older fighter jets than Russia, it has successfully been able to "restrict Russia's planes to a limited role in the fight," Business Insider's news correspondent Sinéad Baker reported.

Professor Justin Bronk, an expert on Russia and air warfare at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute, told Baker that Russia's air force has become "largely irrelevant to the conflict" due to Ukraine's defense efforts.

There are fears that could soon change. On Tuesday, Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine's Prime Minister, said that the army requires more long-range missiles to defeat Russia, ABC News reported.

This comes after US Army officials said it will be unable to continue assisting Ukraine as well as its Europe and Africa Command after May if Congress doesn't approve new funding soon.

Representatives for the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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By: [email protected] (Mikhaila Friel)
Title: Ukraine took out another Russian fighter jet, bringing its kill streak to 7 in a week
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-destroyed-russia-fighter-jet-one-week-su34-air-force-2024-2
Published Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 12:05:20 +0000

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