Dramatic footage and images of a burning Russian state-of-the-art Sukhoi Su-35 that was shot down by Ukrainian forces have emerged as Putin's forces continue to suffer heavy damages. The Su-35 fighter jet was shot down in the Kharkiv region on Saturday as Russia continued heavy shelling on Ukrainian cities.
According to reports, the plane was shot down by anti-aircraft missile personnel from Ukraine's Air Force, who posted footage of the incident online. Notably, the Su-35 is one of Russia's best warplanes. Because of its upgraded engine, it is thought to be superior to Rafale aircraft. It's a supermaneuverable twin-engine aircraft.
Shot Down in Air
Images show the charred remains of the aircraft believed to be shot down using an anti-aircraft missile in the Kharkiv region. The aircraft was readily identified as a Su-35S Flanker-E multirole 4++ generation supermaneuverable fighter due to its single seat configuration, lack of canards, L-265M10P/R ECM wingtip pods, and heat shields on the stabilizers.
This is the first Sukhoi Su-35 to be lost since its invasion of Ukraine 39 days back. The Su-35, which costs around £30 million, was shot down by Ukrainian forces, according to Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko, who reportedly wrote: "50 million dollars worth of damage for the ogres!"
The pilot ejected and attempted to flee, according to Gerashchenko, but was arrested.
Also, video showing the aircraft, in flames, coming down, has emerged. The footage shows an aircraft falling from the sky on fire before colliding with the ground and bursting into flames with a dense black cloud of smoke in the footage.
A man can be heard saying: 'Something is falling on the village. F**k! F**k! Here, here... Oh just right on the house.'
Russia on Backfoot
The SU-35s is Russia's single-seat multi-role attack jet. Its exceptional maneuverability and torque vectoring engines allow it to turn significantly tighter than a standard jet aircraft, making it well suited to air superiority missions.
Unlike the F-22 and F-35, the Su-35s is not a stealth fighter and, like previous aircraft like the F-16, relies heavily on dogfighting skills. The plane can reach Mach 2.25 at 36,000 feet, or around 1,500 mph, and can carry 8,000kg of weaponry with a range of about 1,000 miles.It also has a 30mm gun for air-to-air dogfights, as well as the capacity to carry rockets, missiles, and bombs.
Since the start of the war, 19 Russian jets have been verified downed by Ukrainian forces. As the battle progresses, Ukraine has bolstered its offensive strategy in the face of Russian troop withdrawals from the northern city.
To make strategic advantages, the Russian army is pulling soldiers back from northern towns and advancing attacks on eastern and southern cities as part of its new war strategy. Russian forces have now transitioned to a new phase of the fight, focusing on the war-torn country's eastern areas.
As Russia considers an amphibious assault on the strategic Black Sea port city of Odessa in the south, the withdrawal has been accompanied by strikes. As the war against the invaders continues, Ukraine's deputy defense minister announced that the country had retaken the "entire Kyiv region" from Russian soldiers.
