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Inscription on a Russian bomb as a memento for the Su-25 pilot nicknamed Mason. Russian rescue helicopter Mi-8.
At least two of the downed pilots
were found alive on December 22.
The first confirmed casualty from
the downed Su-34 was Lieutenant
Stepan Zhirnov from the 277th
Bomber Aviation Regiment.
According to the
latest information,
Captain Vyacheslav
Kisilev from the
559th Bomber
Aviation Regiment
also died on
December 22.
Major Stanislav
Romanenko, who
died in a Ukrainian
Su-27 at the Ozerne
airbase.
Equipment at the site where one of the pilots from the downed Russian Su-34 ejected
on December 22, 2023.
Damaged Ka-52, captured in Crimea in September. The footage appeared
three months later.
HISTORY
Ukrainian territory with gliding bombs. However,
Ukrainians moved the Patriot system closer to the
border, and on May 13, 2023, they shot down two
aircraft and three helicopters. They did a similar
thing now in southern Ukraine and reported
the shooting down of three Su-34s at once.
It was supposed to happen in the Chaplynka and
Kalanchak districts of the Kherson region. Official
confirmation from the Russian side, of course,
was not announced. Unofficial sources, however,
stated that at least three pilots died, and at least
two others survived the shootdown. This would
suggest the downing of three Su-34s, which have
a two-member crew. The identity of one of the
dead pilots was confirmed as Lieutenant Stepan
Zhirnov from the 277th Bomber Aviation Regiment.
Although the Russian side officially remains silent,
the loss of three Su-34s at once shook the Russian
air force. Until then, they released about a hundred
gliding bombs daily on the Ukrainian bridgehead
around the village of Krynky, on the next day,
Saturday, December 23, these attacks stopped
completely. And the Ukrainians were not done
with their mission by any means. On Christmas,
December 24, they reported the downing of
another Su-34 near Mariupol and a Su-30 near
Odesa. This would truly suggest the deployment
of two Patriot batteries in southern Ukraine. One
protects Odesa, and the other moves as needed.
The mentioned Telegram channel Fighterbomber
even stated that this battery was placed on a train
for easier and faster relocation. However, this
information cannot be verified and seems rather
unlikely.
In addition to all the above mentioned recent
shootdowns, photos documenting older losses
have also appeared. On Saturday, December 23,
images of a damaged Ka-52 helicopter were
published, as it was transported on a trailer
across the Kerch Strait to occupied Crimea.
The footage dates back to September and probably
relates to the Ukrainian offensive in the Zaporizhia
region. During this offensive, Ukrainians reported
several hits on Ka-52 helicopters, which were not
visually confirmed at that time.
INFO Eduard
31
February 2024