Ukrainian Air Defense Forces Shoot Down Russian Su-34 Fighter Jet in Luhansk Region, Resulting in Growing Losses

Ukrainian air defenses shot down a russian Su-34 fighter-bomber in the sky over the Luhansk region on January 29, as announced by Andrii Kovalev, a spokesperson for the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, on national television on January 30.

He clarified the information about the losses of the russian federation in the war against Ukraine over the past day.

Read more: Ukraine’s Spy Chief Tells New Details on russia’s A-50, Il-22 Aircraft Downing

In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the russians have lost 332 aircraft and 324 helicopters.

The downing of the Su-34 jet is the most recent incident in an increasing trend of russian planes being shot down. This includes an A-50 military observation plane earlier in January, which is reported to have cost $330 million to produce. On the same day in January, there were also reports of damage to an Ilyushin Il-22 plane operating as an airborne command post.

Another Su-34 burned at the Shagol airfield during the night before January 4th.

Recall that at the end of the year, the Ukrainian military managed to shoot down five russian military aircraft in just a few days: on December 22, three Su-34 supersonic fighter-bomber aircraft were destroyed in the southern direction, and on December 24, in the Mariupol direction, the Ukrainian military shot down another Su-34, as well as the Su-30 that attacked the Odesa region.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported in December 2023 that the increase in aircraft losses has prompted russia to alter its aerial strategy, leading to a reduction in the number of sorties flown by russia’s Air Force.

Read more: ​russia’s Troops Begin Using Su-34, Su-35 Aircraft for Airstrikes After a Forced Break Again