At approximately 1400 EST, Ukrainian sources reported that a Russian air attack was underway against Odessa. By 1415 EST, Ukrainian military bloggers claimed that a Russian Su-30 had been shot down in the attack. Commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, announced at 1500 EST that the Su-30 report had not been verified, but that an additional Su-34 had been destroyed near Mariupol. This shootdown would be there fourth Su-34 fighter bomber downed in two days after U.S. supplied PATRIOT surface-to-air missile systems shot down a flight of three Su-34s above Kherson Oblast on December 22nd.
His announcement reads below:
“We repulse another attack of the “Shaheeds”. Stay in cover!
In the Odesa direction, there was combat work on the Russian Su-30 in the Black Sea – we are studying the materials of objective control in order to know for sure whether the target was hit or not.
But… it has been confirmed that our anti-aircraft missile system hit the Su-34 fighter-bomber in the direction of Mariupol! He did not return to the airport.
“Eternal flight, brothers!””
