A Russian fighter jet was destroyed at an airfield in Russia, according to Ukraine’s military which posted a video it said showed the aircraft on fire.
Ukrainian defense intelligence said that on Saturday “an enemy (Sukhoi) Su-30 fighter jet burned down at the airfield” in Krymsk. The city is in the Krasnodar region, which shares a border with occupied Crimea and has been the site of many recent Ukrainian strikes given its proximity to the frontline.
The statement said that the previous day, “a devastating fire in the city of Krasnodar disabled three Russian railway locomotives” and that “the aggressor used the specified military facilities in a criminal war against Ukraine.”
“There will be fair retribution for every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people,” said the statement on Telegram, according to a translation next to a video clip.
This illustrative image from May 4, 2022, shows Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jets and MiG-29 fighter jets fly over downtown Moscow. Ukraine said a Russian Sukhoi had been destroyed at an airfield on December 14,…
This illustrative image from May 4, 2022, shows Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jets and MiG-29 fighter jets fly over downtown Moscow. Ukraine said a Russian Sukhoi had been destroyed at an airfield on December 14, 2024.
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The minute-long footage starts by showing train locomotives on fire and then segues into a satellite image of an airport, as well as images of a plane on the tarmac which has flames billowing out of the undercarriage.
There were no details about how the aircraft or locomotives were targeted. Newsweek has been unable to verify the footage and has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment by email.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has not increased its tally of Russian aircraft destroyed in the war since October 9, and it currently stands at 369, as of Saturday.
🔴 Russian Su-30 fighter jet and three locomotives were destroyed in Russia, reported Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.
The Su-30 fighter jet burned at an airfield in Krymsk, Krasnodar region on December 14. A day earlier, fire destroyed three railway locomotives. pic.twitter.com/CE9rHLCpjd
— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) December 14, 2024
The tally of Russian airplane losses in the war is 132 according to the Oryx website which monitors Russian losses based on video or still imagery; among them are 12 Su-30M jets.
Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian aircraft north of the Ukrainian region of Kherson, according to Vladimir Saldo, the spokesman for the Moscow-appointed governor of the partially occupied region. He had earlier announced an aviation high alert in the Kherson region, state news agency Tass reported.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said its drones had struck an oil depot in the Russian city of Oryol in the latest targeting of sites that are key to Moscow’s military capabilities. Videos on social media appear to show a drone strike hitting a storage tank and causing explosions.
Russia continues to bombard Ukraine with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with Kyiv saying that air defenses intercepted 58 out of the 132 drones launched by Moscow on 11 regions in the south and center of the country.
Earlier on Friday, Russia launched a massive aerial attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure consisting of 290 missiles and drones across multiple regions.