The Ukrainian Air Force Command announced, "A Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber was shot down at 4 a.m. on 25/9 while attacking Zaporizhzhia with glide bombs." However, no evidence was offered to support the claim.
AMK Mapping, an X (formerly Twitter) account that tracks open-source intelligence data on the war in Ukraine, reported an explosion near Ukrainian-held Zaporizhzhia a few minutes later. "It was likely the sound of glide bombs hitting their targets," the account speculated.
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A Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber on a mission in 2022. Photo: RIA Novosti |
A Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber on a mission in 2022. Photo: RIA Novosti
The Ukrainian Air Force Command also reported that Russia launched a total of 176 suicide and decoy drones towards Ukrainian territory on the night of 24/9. "Air defense units shot down or jammed 150 drones, while 13 drones hit eight areas and debris fell on one location," the command stated. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on the reports.
Zaporizhzhia is one of the four provinces Russia claimed to have annexed in 9/2022, along with Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson. Russia currently controls approximately three-quarters of Zaporizhzhia, but Ukraine still holds the provincial capital of the same name.
Ukrainian media reported that Russia has recently increased its use of glide bombs against the city of Zaporizhzhia. Pro-Russian social media accounts claim the targets are defense factories and sites used by Ukrainian forces for staging and vehicle repairs.
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Location of Zaporizhzhia city. Graphic: RYV |
Location of Zaporizhzhia city. Graphic: RYV
The Su-34 fighter-bomber was developed during the Soviet era and entered service with the Russian Air Force in 2014. The Su-34 primarily performs ground-attack missions but can also carry air-to-air missiles for air combat.
In the war in Ukraine, Russian Su-34 squadrons have mainly deployed UMPK-guided glide bombs and Kh-38 tactical cruise missiles against targets along the front lines.
Pham Giang (Ukrainska Pravda, RBC Ukraine)
