Russia is searching for the 'culprit' behind the downing of three Su-34s in one day.

VnExpress•25/12/2023

Ukraine says Russia is stepping up reconnaissance to hunt for the air defense system that shot down three of Moscow's Su-34 fighter-bombers in one day.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat said on December 24 that Russia has reduced the frequency of using Su-34 fighter-bombers to drop glide bombs on Ukrainian front lines in the south, while increasing reconnaissance using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to hunt down enemy air defense systems.

This action follows Ukraine's announcement that the Odessa Air Defense Missile Brigade in the Kherson region shot down three Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers in the southern region in a single day. This is considered the largest single-day loss for the Russian air force since the start of hostilities.

"Clearly, they are hunting for the equipment that destroyed those fighter-bombers," Ignat said.

Ukrainian air defenses have not disclosed the equipment used to shoot down the Russian Su-34, but pro-Kiev social media accounts say it was a Patriot air defense system supplied by the West.

Two Russian Su-34M aircraft preparing for takeoff on June 1st. Photo: UAC — Two Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers preparing for takeoff on June 1st. Photo: *UAC*

Ignat said the incident reduced the threat from Russian glide bombs, but added that Ukraine still needs more air defense weapons to counter enemy aircraft.

"The Ukrainian Air Force could conduct similar operations on other fronts, but the issue here is that we need more air defense systems. This is being discussed within the framework of our newly formed air defense alliance," a Ukrainian official said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said last month that a 20-nation coalition, led by Germany and France, had been formed to support Ukraine in strengthening its air defense capabilities. Details regarding the coalition, including its specific member list and operational methods, have not yet been released.

Also on December 24, Ukrainian air defenses announced that they had shot down another Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber near the city of Mariupol, but did not disclose the weapon used to shoot it down.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the information. On the same day, the agency stated that Russian air defenses had shot down four Ukrainian aircraft within 24 hours, including three Su-27 fighter jets and one Su-24 attack aircraft, in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions of southeastern Ukraine, respectively. Kyiv has not confirmed Moscow's claims.

Russia has recently been frequently using glide bombs to attack Ukraine, particularly the Dnieper River region, the front line on the Kherson front. PS01, a social media account specializing in reporting on the Ukrainian conflict, stated that the Russian Air Force drops an average of about 100 bombs in the area each day. These glide bombs are mainly dropped from Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers.

A Patriot air defense missile system in Warsaw, Poland, on February 7. Photo: Reuters — A Patriot air defense missile system in Warsaw, Poland, on February 7. Photo: *Reuters*

Kyiv is calling on Western countries to transfer more long-range missiles and air defense weapons to counter Russian airstrikes. Last week, Germany delivered another Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, bringing the total number of systems Kyiv possesses to three. President Zelensky said on December 19 that Ukraine would receive several more Patriot systems this winter, but did not disclose the exact timing or quantity.

Patriot is an anti-aircraft missile developed by the United States and deployed by the US military since 1981. It can hit targets up to 160 km away and fly at an altitude of 24 km. Valeriy Romanenko, a Ukrainian aviation expert, believes that the Russian Su-34 pilots were unaware of the long-range interception capabilities of the Patriot air defense system, leading to the downing of three of their Su-34s on December 22nd.

"They were flying together and were detected. They didn't anticipate that the Patriot system has a range of up to 160 km targeting aircraft," the expert stated.