The Kursk regional administration confirmed an incident in which a Ukrainian aircraft attempting to drop a guided munition was intercepted and shot down. The report originates from the regional Telegram channel operated by local officials.
According to the official briefing, at 18:12 the Buk-M3 air defense unit from the 5th air defense brigade, part of the Sever group, engaged and destroyed a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 while it was attempting to deliver a guided bomb over territory adjacent to the Kursk region. The report refers to the aircraft as a target classified as an aircraft in the region’s security statement.
Earlier, the Telegram channel Operation Z, which covers military reporting for the Russian Spring network, indicated that a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter had been destroyed while attempting to strike the Kursk area.
The Su-27 is a fourth-generation, all-weather, long-range air superiority fighter developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau. It is capable of air-to-ground operations and can carry missiles and bombs, with documented roles that include precision strikes and potential nuclear-capable missions in certain configurations.
Contemporary international reporting notes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have experienced losses attributed to air defense activity in various theaters, including incidents near air bases in Ukrainian territory such as Mirgorod. Local observers and defense analysts have monitored ongoing exchanges affecting multiple fronts, with claims of significant material losses on both sides in different periods of the conflict.
In mid-August, official Russian sources stated that a day included the destruction of one Su-27, several launchers from the S-300PT air defense system, and a radar facility. A video purporting to show a broader attack against Ukrainian forces near the Belgorod border circulated online, contributing to a wider narrative of intensified air operations in the region.
Historically, the region has seen repeated claims of aerial engagements involving Su-27 aircraft and various ground-based air defenses. Reports in the period surrounding these statements have described continued exchanges on several fronts, with both sides reporting surface-to-air missile activity and aerial combat events that are difficult to independently verify in real time.