Russians drastically reduced the use of guided bombs in the south after the destruction of Su-34
23 December, 2023 A Russian bomb with a UMPK kit under the wing of a Su-34 front-line bomber Russian aviation has drastically reduced the use of guided bombs in the south after Ukrainian air defense destroyed enemy Su-34 fighter-bombers. The Operational Command South announced this in the morning report.
Thus, over the past day, Russians carried out one air strike using 4 guided bombs on Krynky on the left bank of the Kherson region. They also fired one Kh-59 guided missile that had been sent in the direction of Kropyvnytskyi, but was destroyed by air defense forces.
Screenshot of the Operational Command South statement for December 23, 2023
This is three times less than the day before. Then, Russians carried out three air strikes using 15 guided bombs on settlements on left and right banks of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region.
A Russian bomb with a UMPK kit under the wing of a Su-34 front-line bomber
A drastical decrease in the use of Russian aircraft to strike Ukraine in the south comes after the Ukrainian military claimed on Friday, December 22, that its air defense had shot down three Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers.
Russian Su-34M fighter-bomber, November 2023.
Photo credits: United Aircraft Corporation
According to Yurii Ihnat, Spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, Russians were "totally insolent" and wanted to fly closer to strike with guided bombs to penetrate the Ukrainian defense. Ihnat noted that Russian pilots were caught off guard, and "the operation was carried out at lightning speed and gracefully." However, it is worth noting that unconfirmed information about the downing of one Su-35 fighter and two Su-34 fighter-bombers is circulating online.
Photo on the topic: Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down Russian fighters in the south, December 22, 2023
Subsequently, photos of a Russian Mi-8/17 search-and-rescue helicopter and the landing site of downed pilots appeared on social media.
Russian propagandists indirectly confirmed the shootdown of at least one aircraft, saying that living and dead crew members were found and evacuated to the temporarily occupied territory.
A combatant of the crew of the second Patriot system from Germany.
The invaders claim that the preliminary reason for the shootdown of aircraft is the use of the Patriot SAM system by the Ukrainian military.
These assumptions have not been officially confirmed.