Ukrainian Air Force downs three Russian warplanes
On Saturday, 17th of February, the Ukrainian Air Force destroyed three Russian aircraft – two Su-34 and one Su-35, reported Lieutenant-General Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force.
"In the morning of February 17, 2024, in the Eastern direction, Air Force units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed three enemy aircraft – two Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter!" Oleshchuk said in a statement.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, also expressed gratitude to the soldiers for downing the Russian jets. He remarked that the Russian aircraft were destroyed while they were attacking positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
Later, Oleshchuk displayed on a map the locations where the Russian forces should search for their pilots. The Lieutenant-General highlighted that the Su-35S is a single-seat plane and the Su-34 is a two-seater.
"According to radio intercepts, one pilot was found, the others are 'being searched for'! Something doesn't add up, does it?" the commander of the Air Force wrote on Telegram.
He emphasized that there is an international satellite search and rescue system, Cospas-Sarsat, that alerts to the location of pilots' personal beacons in case of accidents.
"As we can see, the system is operational! In the photo, four Cospas-Sarsat beacons were activated– search for your 'brothers' in these areas! You're welcome!" wrote Oleshchuk.