Ukraine shot down three fighter jets in one day commander claims

Ukrianian air defense crews recently shot two Su-34 fighter bombers and one advanced Su-35S in the eastern sector of the frontlines according to the Commander of the Ukrianian Air Force Mykola Oleschuk.

Oleschuk reported the losses with a map of the incident area on his Telegram channel and noted that the three planes were downed on February 17th. Military later reported that a Russian Telegram channel confirmed the loss of the Su-35S fighter, and added that its pilot survived.

Photo Credit: Telegram @MykolaOleshchuk

However, the Russian source claimed that both the Su-34 fighter bombers in Ukraine were shot down and returned to their air base. Reuters noted that it could not verify Ukraine's claims, but added that if they were true it would represent a $100 million loss for Russia.

The open-source Dutch intelligence group Oryx has been tracking Russian and Ukrainian losses since the beginning of the invasion through confirmed photo and video evidence. As of February 18th, Oryx reported that Moscow has lost 14 different Su-24 variants and 6 Su-35S fighters since February 2022.

The Su-35S, commonly referred to by its NATO designation the Flanker-E, is one of Russia's best modern fighter jets. It was also one of two important models that were recently delivered to Russia at the end of the summer of 2023.

On September 28th, the Russian government announced that it received the next serial production of the country’s fifth-generation Su-57 fighter and the 4++ generation Su-35S from the United Aircraft Corporation in a short news brief on its website. 

“Russia’s aircraft manufacturing enterprises are gaining a good pace of production,” the Russian Minister for Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said in a statement attached to the news brief and translated by Defence Blog. 

Minister Manturov noted that the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant handed over the next series of fighter jets ordered by the Kremlin for the Russian Aerospace Forces and added that the next batch of fighters would be received at the end of the year. 

Photo Credit: Facebook @UAC.RUSSIA.EN

United Aircraft Corporation’s CEO Yury Slysur was also quoted in the news brief and he reported that the remaining fifth-generation Su-57 fighters scheduled for delivery before the end of 2023 were already on the company's assembly lines.  

Some of the Su-57 fighter jets scheduled for delivery later this year already started their flight testing according to Slysur, who also reported that the next batch of Su-35S fighter jets were in their next stage and in a “high readiness of production.”

Photo Credit: Facebook @UAC.RUSSIA.EN

The new batch of jets passed their factory tests and were deemed combat-ready before they were shipped to the Russian Aerospace Forces. The news brief didn’t say whether or not the delivered jets would be used in Ukraine but their shipment isn't good news. 

Both the Su-57 and the Su-35S are some of Moscow’s most potent air assets and could be used in a variety of roles in the skies above Ukraine. Both multi-role fighter jets have their advantages. Let's look at what each of the aircraft was designed to do. 

The Su-57 was created by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and was designed as a multi-role fighter that could achieve speeds up to Mach 2 according to Airforce Technology. What makes the jet so fearsome is its stealth capabilities. 

Codenamed the Felon, the multi-role fighter jet’s design employs a variety of composite materials like polymer, fiberglass, and aluminum load-bearing honeycomb fillers. These materials enable low radar levels and make it useful in all of its roles. 

The Su-57 comes equipped with air-to-surface missiles to engage targets on the ground as well as air-to-air missiles that are useful during long combat missions. The Felon also has a 30mm air gun that can be used in close combat operations. 

Lucikly this advanced multi-role fighter has only seen limited use over Ukraine and in an intelligence report from January by the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence, analysts wrote that Russia was likely holding back its use due to fears over losses. 

“Russia is highly likely prioritizing avoiding the reputational damage, reduced export prospects, and the compromise of sensitive technology which would come from any loss of FELON over Ukraine,” the intelligence report read. 

However, the Su-35S multi-role fighter has seen extensive use in Ukraine since Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.  

The Su-35 was designed in the 1980s as a multi-role fighter to replace Russia’s Su-27. The aircraft is often referred to as the Flanker-E or Super Flanker by Western militaries and the Su-35S variant of the plane became the definitive version Military Times noted. 

Photo Credit: By Dmitry Avdeev, CC BY-SA 3.0

Russia’s Su-35 is both very fast and highly maneuverable according to Military Times. It also has a very long range, can operate at high altitudes, and comes fitted with a heavy armament. “It poses a great threat to Western 4+ generation fighters.”

Photo Credit: By Dmitry Terekhov, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Su-35S carries a mix of short-range and medium-range missiles in order to engage in air-to-air combat but it also comes equipped with a variety of radar-homing missiles it can use against ground targets. It has a 30mm cannon and can carry cruise missiles. 

Photo Credit: By Andrei Shmatko, CC BY-SA 4.0