Ukraine downs Russia’s Su-34 bomber, 11/13 explosive drones, two missiles

Russia reportedly loses its sixth bomber in February, while Ukraine repels another air attack, downing most of "kamikaze" drones and two missiles.

Feb 27, 2024 - 20:33
Ukraine downs Russia’s Su-34 bomber, 11/13 explosive drones, two missiles

On the morning of 27 February, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Lt-Gen Mykola Oleshchuk reported that Ukrainian air defenders downed another Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft, adding to the significant tally of Russian air asset losses over the past weeks. This is the sixth Russian bomber lost in February.

According to Oleshchuk, the aircraft was destroyed in Ukraine’s east, while its pilots managed to bail out.

Meanwhile, in the early hours of the same day, Russians launched their daily suicide drone attack on Ukraine, augmented by several missile strikes.

Ukraine’s Air Force says the Russians launched 13 Iranian-made Shahed-series one-way attack drones from the north (Russia’s Kursk Oblast) and southeast (Russia’s Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai). Additionally, an undisclosed number of Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles were launched from Russia’s Voronezh Oblast. Moreover, they also attacked Ukraine with four Kh-59 air-launched guided missiles and one Kh-31P anti-radiation missile from occupied areas of Kherson and Donetsk oblasts.

The only system in Ukraine capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, the Patriot, is not deployed in the country’s east, which was targeted by the Iskanders or the North Korean KN-23s.

The Air Force says Ukrainian air defense units have shot down 11 of 13 Shaheds, and two Kh-59 missiles in five regions in Ukraine’s east and south. The air assault was repelled by Ukraine’s fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missile units, mobile fire groups, and electronic warfare units.

Late on 26 February, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Head Serhii Lysak said a drone was downed in the region, and two cruise missiles.

On the morning of 27 February, the Khmelnytskyi Oblast Military Administration reported that one drone was destroyed during a nearly two-hour air raid alert that lasted around midnight. Sumy Oblast saw one more Shahed downed, according to local authorities.

The authorities of Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytskyi, and Kirovohrad oblasts, where air defenses were active, didn’t report and damage or civilian casualties attributed the Russian air assault.

Read also:

 

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!