Russian Defense Claims on Aerial Engagements and Ground Fire

Russian officials cited by state media reported that two Ukrainian fighter jets, a Su-27 and a MiG-29, were shot down in separate aerial engagements. The claims were disseminated by a spokesperson for Russia’s defense ministry and relayed by TASS. The spokesperson said a Su-27 from the Ukrainian Air Force was brought down near the settlement of Nikiforovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. He added that the MiG-29 was downed near Lyubytske in the Zaporozhye region. In the same update, the report noted that 24 shells from multiple rocket launcher systems, including HIMARS, Uragan, and Alder, were captured during the operation.