Russia announced on Tuesday that it had destroyed five Ukrainian SU-27 fighter jets and damaged two more using Iskander-M missiles at the Myrhorod airfield in Ukraine’s central Poltava region. The Ukrainian side acknowledged the strike but accused Russia of exaggerating the extent of the damage.
The Russian defense ministry released footage purportedly showing the aftermath of the attack, with smoke and flames rising from the airfield. However, it did not specify when the strike occurred. “As a result of the Russian strike, five active SU-27 multi-purpose fighters were destroyed and two were damaged,” the ministry claimed.
This strike comes at a critical time as Kyiv prepares to receive the first U.S.-designed F-16 fighter jets, which Russia has vowed to target and destroy.
Ukrainian air force official Yuriy Ihnat confirmed the attack on Myrhorod but downplayed the extent of the losses. “There was an attack. There are some losses, but not the ones the enemy claims. They have always exaggerated since the beginning of the invasion,” Ihnat wrote in a statement on Facebook late Monday.
Reports from Ukrainian military bloggers indicated that a Russian reconnaissance drone had been able to fly over the airfield, facilitating the strike. Ihnat emphasised the significant threat posed by such drones. “There is not enough means to destroy (reconnaissance) drones,” Ihnat said. “It flies and reports everything in real-time, then Iskander arrives in a couple of minutes. It is obvious.”
As both sides continue to exchange claims and counterclaims, the situation highlights the ongoing intensity of the conflict and the strategic importance of air superiority in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Melissa Enoch
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