- The Ukrainian Air Force announced in the morning that it had shot down three Russian fighter jets.
- The Air Force commander announced that two Su-34 fighters and one Su-35 fighter jet were shot down.
- After Ukraine won a similar series of victories in December, Russian forces withdrew.
Ukraine announced that it had shot down three Russian fighter jets in the morning.
“According to Lieutenant General Mykola Oreshchuk, commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the morning of February 17, 2024, Ukrainian military air forces destroyed three enemy aircraft in the eastern direction.” At the same time – two Su-34 fighter-bombers and an Su-34 -35 fighter jet,” the Strategic Communications Department of the Ukrainian Armed Forces wrote on Telegram.
According to Forbes magazine, the Su-34 is the Russian Air Force's best fighter-bomber, costing $50 million each.
The Su-35 has a top speed of 1485 miles per hour and a bomb payload of over 17,000 pounds.
In December, Ukraine orchestrated a similar success story, with Ukrainian forces destroying three Russian Su-34 fighter/bombers in two days.
The Institute for War Studies reported that the Russian Air Force withdrew in response.
It is estimated that the December success was made possible by the Patriot missile system supplied by Western countries.
Surface-to-air missile systems manufactured by U.S. defense contractor Raytheon have become a formidable asset for Ukraine, so much so that one of Russia's latest strategies is to deplete Ukraine's Patriot inventory.
Last month, Business Insider's Sinead Baker wrote that Russia is strategically trying to lure Ukraine into draining its Patriot stock and leaving it vulnerable.
Without the protection provided by the Patriot system, Russia would be able to have a much higher success rate and inflict maximum damage without much fear that the attack would fail.
It is unclear how Ukrainian forces shot down three Russian fighter jets this morning.
