According to a report by the US "Wall Street Journal" on December 22, the Ukrainian military stated that day that it shot down three Su-34 fighter-bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces in a "well-planned operation." The Wall Street Journal stated that this was one of the most successful actions by Ukraine against Russian air power since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The Ukrainian Air Force stated that these three Su-34 fighter-bombers were shot down in southern Ukraine at noon on the 22nd. The Russian military has recently been dispatching fighter planes to the Ukrainian-controlled areas on the west bank of the Dnieper River and trying to launch cruise missiles and bombs at Ukrainian soldiers who have established positions on the east bank of the Dnieper River.
According to reports, Russian officials did not respond to the results announced by Ukraine, while Russian social media accounts that have been paying attention to the battlefield situation admitted that the Russian army had suffered losses and stated that these fighter jets may have been shot down by the US-made "Patriot" air defense system equipped by the Ukrainian army. Russian social media accounts stated that these Su-34 fighter-bombers may have been on a mission to drop bombs on Ukrainian military positions on the east bank of the Dnieper River. After the fighter planes were shot down, the bodies of the surviving pilots and the dead pilots have been found by Russia.
The Wall Street Journal stated that the Ukrainian army is currently equipped with five sets of "Patriot" air defense systems provided by the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. In May this year, the Ukrainian army used these "Patriot" air defense systems to launch an aggressive operation against the Russian Aerospace Forces. At that time, the Ukrainian army shot down 5 Russian aircraft staying in Russian airspace, including 1 Su-34 fighter-bomber, 1 Su-35 fighter and 3 Mi8/Mi17 helicopters. The Wall Street Journal stated that the downing of three Su-34 fighter-bombers was exciting news for Ukraine, which has recently experienced a series of military setbacks. The counterattack launched by Ukraine this year did not break through the Russian defense line as planned. The Russian army is currently executing its counterattack plan and has made some progress.
The British Broadcasting Corporation stated that in his speech on the evening of the 22nd, Ukrainian President Zelensky thanked the Ukrainian soldiers who shot down the Russian fighter jet. Zelensky also said that the Dutch Prime Minister had confirmed to him that the Netherlands was preparing to provide 18 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Photos of the Su-34 crash zone circulating on social media
According to a report in the "War Zone" column of the U.S. "Power" website, a number of photos purportedly showing the crash site of a Su-34 fighter-bomber after it was shot down are rapidly circulating on social media. These photos may have been taken by Russian personnel performing search and rescue missions.
The "War Zone" column also stated that the Su-34 fighter-bomber has always been Russia's main model for carrying out ground strike missions in conflicts. If the Russian army loses three fighters of this type at one time, it will undoubtedly be of great significance. The "War Zone" column stated that the Russian army had been working hard to equip the Su-34 fighter-bombers with unguided bombs equipped with gliding wings, which gave the Su-34 the ability to launch attacks at longer distances and brought new challenges to the Ukrainian army. The deployment of the "Patriot" air defense system to more frontline areas may solve this problem.