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as Russian reconnaissance drones were able
to operate freely. Loss of the first Ukrainian
HIMARS launcher was confirmed. Notably, the
Russian Defense Ministry had claimed back
in summer 2022 that it had already destroyed
40 of them—despite only 20 having been
delivered. A significant loss for Ukraine was
the partial destruction of a Patriot missile
battery. In terms of aircraft losses, Ukraine
lost one MiG-29, three Mi-8s, and one
Mi-24, while Russia lost one Su-27 and one Il-76.
The Black Sea Fleet continued to suffer losses,
with the patrol ship Sergei Kotov sunk. A missile
strike using Storm Shadow/Scalp-EG missiles
hit an occupied area of Crimea, destroying the
communication center of the Russian Black Sea
Fleet and damaging three ships in Sevastopol
harbor.
April 2024
Republicans finally ceased blocking aid
to Ukraine. While the Slovak government
refused to provide assistance, Slovak civil
activists launched the "Ammunition for
Ukraine" campaign, raising 4 million euros
in three weeks. However, due to the ongoing
shortage of air defense missiles, Ukrainian
civilians continued to suffer. For example,
during an attack on the Trypilska Thermal
Power Plant, Ukrainian defenses intercepted
7 out of 11 Russian missiles, but the remaining
four, which could not be stopped, struck the
facility directly. Despite challenges, Ukraine
had some successes, particularly in targeting
Russian airfields. A major milestone was the
first confirmed downing of a Russian Tu-22M3
bomber since the start of the war.
May 2024
Ukrainian attacks on airfields, refineries, and
fuel depots intensified. At least two Russian
ships were sunk in Crimea. Russia attempted
an offensive on Kharkiv, but it was quickly
repelled, with Russian forces advancing no
further than two border villages. In response to
the attack, the West permitted Ukraine to use
Western-supplied weapons in limited strikes
on Russian territory. Prior to the assault,
Ukrainian intelligence had detected the buildup
of Russian forces but had been unable to act
against them.
June 2024
During an attack on the Akhtubinsk airbase,
600 km from the front line, Ukrainian drones
damaged at least one of Russia’s latest Su-57
fighter jets. Russia escalated its airstrikes on
Ukrainian airfields, anticipating the arrival of
F-16 fighters. At the 80th anniversary of the
D
-
Day landings in Normandy, French President
Emmanuel Macron announced that Ukraine
would receive Mirage 2000 fighter jets, marking
a significant shift in military aid.
July 2024
The most important event of the month
was the delivery of the first F-16 fighters to
Ukraine. Russia continued its tactics of large-
scale terrorist attacks on civilian targets
coinciding with major events. The day before
a NATO summit, which Ukraine attended,
missile strikes on multiple cities killed
47 people and injured 189. Among the targets
was the Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv.
Russia also continued targeting Ukrainian
airfields but suffered significant aircraft
losses, including two Mi-28 helicopters,
two Mi-8s, one Ka-27, one Su-25, one
Su-34, and one Su-30. Three additional Russian
aircraft and one helicopter were damaged.
August 2024
Ukrainian forces launched a surprise and
successful raid into Russia’s Kursk region,
seizing a large area, capturing many Russian
soldiers, and destroying entire convoys
of reinforcements initially sent in chaos.
Ukrainian troops managed to hold onto the
captured territory for several months despite
Russian counteroffensives. During these
battles, Russia lost at least five helicopters.
However, Ukraine also suffered a significant
aviation loss—an F-16 was destroyed during
its first combat deployment while repelling
a Russian missile and drone attack. The pilot
was killed, and it is believed the aircraft was
mistakenly shot down by friendly air defense
fire.
September 2024
Two major Russian airstrikes stood out.
In Lviv, western Ukraine, Russian missiles
struck around 50 residential buildings in the
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense released this image selection of an F-16 and Mirage 2000 without markings.
Full images of the Mirage in Ukrainian colors have not yet been published.
A video footage of Ukrainian pilots training in France.
A photograph of a Mirage 2000 tail with a Ukrainian
insignia appeared on the Telegram network.
UKRAINE
INFO Eduard
27
April 2025