One of Vladimir Putin‘s £82m Su-35 supersonic fighter jets said to have been shot down by Russia’s S-300 air defense system on Thursday evening.
Footage shows a plane being hit by a missile before exploding over Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region.
An orange fireball and a trail of smoke could be seen in the sky behind the jet as it crashed towards the ground.
Pro-war channels admitted that the incident involved a single-pilot cockpit aircraft.
Russian aviation blogger Z Fighterbomber posted a photo of the Su-35 with the message:
“Eternal flight, brother.
This message was actually seen as an admission of the loss of aircraft at the hands of his army. The Russian fighter plane was shot down in friendly fire
There is currently no official confirmation from Russian authorities, but Ukraine’s Crimean Wind channel posted:
“Russian air defense against Russian Su-35 1:
0.
“Russian soldiers used S-300 missiles to shoot down their plane near Tokmak.
“Work, my brothers! Do not stop!’
The blue strike, if confirmed, would be Putin’s latest setback after his forces suffered repeated attacks from Ukraine.
Among these attacks was a missile attack on the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet last week.
At least 34 people were killed and more than 100 injured, among the dead were high-ranking Russian commanders.
Russia has lost about 90 aircraft since the start of the war against Ukraine, according to an assessment by the British Ministry of Defense before the latest incident.
The “viability” of the long-term tactical air power of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) is likely to decline as the war continues, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
One report said:
“The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) have lost about 90 aircraft in combat since February 2022. “He also flew some of his warplanes with much more intensity than in peacetime.”