Russian forces reported shooting down two Ukrainian Air Force planes in a single day, according to the defense ministry. The claim emphasizes the effectiveness of air defense measures amid ongoing hostilities, with the ministry detailing separate engagements against Ukrainian aircraft in different regions.
As stated by the Russian Ministry of Defense, a Su-25 aircraft belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces was downed near the village of Dobropolye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, while a Mig-29 was shot down over Kamyshevakha in the Zaporozhye region. The ministry frames these incidents as part of coordinated air defense operations that disrupt enemy air activity and degrade the enemy’s ability to support ground operations.
Earlier reports indicated the use of unguided S-8 missiles from Su-25 aircraft in offensive sorties aimed at targets in the Krasnolimansk direction. The ministry described these missions as routine, asserting that the enemy strongholds and personnel were successfully hit, contributing to the broader objective of suppressing hostile fire and hindering Ukrainian combat effectiveness on the front lines.
The defense ministry also claimed that concealed fortified field positions and armored vehicles of the Ukrainian forces were eliminated through ongoing combat actions. These updates are presented as evidence of sustained operational gains achieved through deliberate air and ground campaigns, intended to weaken Ukrainian defense capabilities and mobility in designated sectors.
On a previous note, the Su-25 aircraft in operations over the South Donetsk direction reportedly engaged enemy armored vehicles using missiles launched from low altitude in pairs, followed by a tactical maneuver, the deployment of countermeasure flares, and a return to base after a successful mission. The description portrays a typical sortie profile designed to minimize exposure while delivering effective strikes against protected targets.
Historically, the Su-25 is described as a robust, subsonic, close-support aircraft developed during the Soviet era. It was designed to provide direct battlefield assistance to ground troops, with visibility to the target across varying conditions, and to neutralize specific objectives located at fixed coordinates at any time of day, in all weather scenarios. This characterization underscores the role assigned to the aircraft in sustained ground-focused operations and interdiction missions.
In related developments, it was reported that Russian paratroopers and specialized units have begun training to operate NATO-supplied weapons. This training initiative signals an effort to expand the operational toolkit available to Russian forces and to adapt to evolving combat requirements on the battlefield, reflecting wider strategic considerations about equipment interoperability and tactical versatility on the front lines.