Ukraine’s military Air Force claims to have shot down three Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers in the southern part of the country.
The downing of these jets, confirmed by Oleshchuk, occurred around noon on Friday. Notably, a provocative message was found on a downed Russian drone, leading Oleshchuk to respond assertively on Telegram.
In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to the soldiers responsible for shooting down the Russian aircraft in the Kherson region. He highlighted the role of the Odesa Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade in this achievement.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has not officially responded to these claims. However, Russian war bloggers, including Fighterbomber and the Voenniy Osvedomitel channel, acknowledged losses, attributing them to the Patriot missile air-defense system.
International Support and Future Plans
President Zelensky also discussed international support, including a conversation with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte about delivering F-16 jets to Ukraine and a substantial 50-billion-euro EU support package.
The Netherlands is gearing up to send the first batch of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, marking a significant step from political decisions to delivering these aircraft. This move comes as part of a larger commitment by Denmark and the Netherlands, with US approval, to provide up to 61 jets to Ukraine after training Ukrainian pilots.