Russia shot down its own plane in the war against Ukraine. Today, British intelligence is turning the spotlight on Moscow’s own goal. Russia’s air defense systems “most likely shot down” one of their fighters last week near Tokmak, in the Zaporizhzhia region, about twenty kilometers from the front line in Ukraine. According to the assessment released on the social network And, we read, it is “one of the most sophisticated jets” available to Moscow, which has lost around 90 aircraft since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February last year.
“The location is relevant because Tokmak is a heavily fortified location which often hosts Russian headquarters commanding one of the most contested sectors on the front line,” explains the report, which highlights how “these commands would normally be protected with short- and medium-range air defense systems.”
Crimea and the Black Sea
Meanwhile, Russian naval ships do not dare to go beyond Cape Tarkhankut on the Crimean coast. This was claimed today by Natalia Humeniuk, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian defense forces on the southern front. “The front line at sea has been pushed back at least 100 nautical miles (185 km) from the Ukrainian coast,” Humeniuk said, recalling that in the first days of the invasion the Russian navy managed to approach the coast of Odessa at the distance of an artillery shot.
“Currently – she said, quoted by Ukrainska Pravda – ships and boats of the Black Sea fleet of the Russian Federation do not sail in the direction of Ukrainian territorial waters.” “Sometimes they appear near the coast of Crimea, but they do not come any closer. They do not dare to go beyond Cape Tarkhankut,” the spokeswoman added, referring to the western end of Crimea.
However, the Russians are trying to maintain superiority in the Black Sea with “tactical planes”, Humeniuk specifies, recalling that Serpent Island has been bombed for two or three days.
Russia, losses according to Kiev
The latest bulletin from the Ukrainian General Staff is close to 280,000 Russian soldiers killed. According to Kiev estimates, the number of dead enemy soldiers has reached 279,890, of which 450 were killed yesterday. The daily bulletin also reports the destruction of 13 tanks, 18 armored vehicles and 47 artillery systems of the Russian army.
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