More humiliation for Putin after Ukraine downs fifth warplane in three days

Ukraine claims it has downed two more of Russia’s war planes in an embarrassing run for Putin.

The country’s air force claims it has shot down both a Russian Su-24 fighter-bomber and a Su-35S fighter, meaning the Kremlin has lost at least five war planes in the last three days – costing Putin hundreds of millions of dollars.

One plane is believed to have fallen in the Azov Sea near Mariupol, and footage appears to show a Russian search underway off the coast.

Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Ukrainian air force, said: ‘Eastern axis. Another minus two aircraft of the occupier!

‘This is our land, and our sky! Thank you all for the combat work! There will be more…don’t hang around!’

Oleshchuk said that Russian rescuers had ‘reported that the Su-35 pilot was drifting “face down into the water” in the Azov Sea’.

more humiliation for putin after ukraine downs fifth warplane in three days

A Russian Su-35 fighter was reportedly shot down (Picture: goodfon.ru/East2west news)

more humiliation for putin after ukraine downs fifth warplane in three days

Ukraine also claims they shot down a Russian Su-34 bomber (Picture: Social media/east2west news)

A Russian war channel, ColonelCassad, admitted the loss today of a Kremlin Su-35 – but claimed it had been downed by friendly fire.

This wouldn’t be the first time a Russian plane had been downed by friendly fire, as throughout the war Putin’s forces have hit their own planes with air defence missiles.

The outlet posted: ‘Can we please not shoot at our own planes. Today we lost one more plane to friendly fire.

‘Today we have indeed lost a Su-35 plane, the pilot was killed. The plane was shot down near Mariupol.

‘The Su-35….wasn’t downed because of the Ukrainians.’

Oleshchuk claims Russia lost an Su-34 and Su-35 on Saturday, and an Su-34 on Sunday, before the two latest planes today.

Some Ukrainian reports say a third plane was downed on Saturday.

Officially Russia has not accounted for the planes, but war bloggers have

disputed the Ukrainian tally.

This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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