HISTORY
A Russian Su-24 that had been grounded for a long time in Novosibirsk.
about the trap set by the Ukrainian air defenses.
Indeed, the Russian air force had let its guard
down and was always conducting operations
from its territory in the same way. The Ukrainian
side has studied the Russian procedures
thoroughly and has brought air defense missiles
to the border of the Chernihiv region. The next
time the Russian air force attempted an attack,
it shot down the entire group involved. Officially,
however, the Ukrainian side is silent about the
whole incident. It is clear that it does not want to
provide any information to the enemy.
The Russian group consisted of a Su-34
bomber preparing to drop guided glide bombs
on the Chernihiv region just inside the border.
At least one of the Mi-8 helicopters was in the
electronic warfare version and was tasked with
jamming the Ukrainian radars, creating a brief
window that would allow the Su-34 to carry
out its deadly mission unimpeded. The Su-35
provided fighter cover for the entire group. It
is possible that the second Mi-8 was also the
electronic warfare version, or was ready to
rescue crew in case of an aircraft being shot
down.
The first Mi-8 crashed in flames after being
hit near the town of Klincy, about 50 km from
the Ukrainian border. Three crew members
were killed. One woman on the ground suffered
burns from the falling burning debris. Another
Mi-8 crashed in the Unechsky district east of
the town of Klincy. Again, the entire crew of
three was killed. A Su-34 crashed near the
village of Nizhneye, south of Klintsy, close to
the Ukrainian border. Both pilots lost their lives.
Finally, the pilot of the Su-35 was killed near the
village of Suretsky.
It was the worst day for the Russian Air Force
since March 5, 2022, when two Su-34s, two
Su-30s, two Mi-24/35 helicopters and one Mi-8
helicopter were visually confirmed downed in
Ukraine. Heavy casualties are also known to
have occurred in the repeated Ukrainian shelling
of the Russian-occupied Chornobaivka airfield
24
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in Kherson area. The worst day for the occupiers
there was March 16, 2022, when at least seven
Russian helicopters were destroyed, according
to satellite images.
More Russian losses
A decommissioned Su-24 was damaged by landing
gear ignition on May 8.
In addition to this major incident, however,
the Russian Air Force lost several other aircraft
during the reporting period. On Wednesday,
May 10, one Kamov Ka-52 was shot down in the
Avdiivka area in the Donetsk region. Both crew
members were killed. At the same time, the
Ukrainian 110th Brigade reported a helicopter
shoot-down in the area, apparently the same
incident.
On Friday May 12, a Mi-28 helicopter crashed
in the Dzhankoy district of Crimea. The cause
of the crash was apparently a technical failure.
The least information is available on the loss of
a Ka-52, which occurred on Monday May 22 in
Russia’s Belgorod region near the border with
Ukraine. The circumstances of its crash are not
known, all that is known is that both pilots were
killed this time as well.
Among the casualties related to the war in
Ukraine, one Su-24 may be counted, which was
damaged on the ground of an aircraft factory in
Novosibirsk, far away from the front line. The
undercarriage of this aircraft was set on fire
and damaged in a guerrilla attack on Monday
May 8. However, it was there for a long time
parked and not used. It was therefore more of
a symbolic attack.
Storm Shadow in action
On the Ukrainian side, only one helicopter was
damaged in combat missions in May. The Mi-24
returned to its base with a large hole in the
vertical fin on Wednesday, May 17.
Other Ukrainian losses are related to the
delivery of new Western weapons. This is a bit
of a mysterious story, so we’ll take a closer
look at it. On Thursday, May 11, British Defense
Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed that Ukraine
Ukrainian Mi-24 damaged on May 17 with the hole
in the vertical fin.
July 2023