Russia has been dealt another heavy blow as Ukrainian forces take out six jets and a staggering 10,000 of Vladimir Putin‘s troops in eight days.
Various types of aircraft have seen devastating losses since May 14, including the MiG-31 interceptor jet and the subsonic attack jet Su-25, according to Ukrainian armed forces.
Last weekend, Ukraine‘s security service the SBU revealed a Russian Su-27 had been damaged during an attack on an air base in Kushchyovskaya.
Also over the weekend, Ukraine‘s 110th Separate Mechanised Brigade claimed to have shot down a Su-25 while battling on the eastern front.
Then on Wednesday, Ukraine‘s General Staff said a Russian Su-25 jet had been destroyed in fighting close to the Donetsk city of Pokrovsk.
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Further losses were revealed by satellite images showing damage inflicted upon two MiG-31 jets and one Su-27 at the Belbek airfield during consecutive strikes in Crimea.
New York Times journalist Christiaan Triebert shared the images on X, writing: “On @Maxar imagery, two MiG-31s and one Su-27 have been completely destroyed, and a MiG-29 damaged, at the Russian Air Force’s Belbek Airbase in occupied Crimea. A fuel storage near the main airbase runway was also destroyed, and debris continued to burn in the aftermath.”
This attack is typical of Ukraine‘s military tactics, as they increase strikes on occupied Crimea – controlled by Russia for a decade. Ukraine vows to regain control over the territory and frequently targets bases such as Belbek.
The latest hits bring the total number of Russian aircraft losses since the war broke out in February 2022 to 355, according to data from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
The total number of Russian personnel losses for the same eight-day period added up to a staggering 10,760, according to statistics published by index.minfin.com.ua.
This is said to have cost Moscow an eye-watering £4.5 billion in Anti-aircraft warfare losses alone, with the total cost of the war on the country coming to at least £166 billion, according to a US official.
The website also puts the total number of Russian soldier deaths in the two years of fighting as 497,700. As of February 25 2024, Ukraine confirmed 31,000 of its soldiers had been killed in the conflict.