Humiliation for Putin as £74m fighter jet erupts in fireball after new Ukraine's attack

 

Ukrainian Forces Down Russian Su-35 Fighter Jet in Kursk Region

Ukraine’s military has released aerial footage showing the burning wreckage of a Russian Su-35 fighter jet, shot down on Saturday in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. The footage captures the £74 million aircraft engulfed in flames, marking another blow to Vladimir Putin’s war effort.

In a statement posted on Telegram, Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed the downing of the aircraft on the morning of June 7, 2025. “As a result of a successful Air Force operation in the Kursk direction, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet was shot down,” the military stated. While the exact method of the attack has not been disclosed, the operation was described as effective.

Russian forces reportedly evacuated the pilot, who is believed to have ejected before the crash. While there has been no official comment from the Russian Ministry of Defense, the pro-Kremlin Fighterbomber Telegram channel acknowledged the incident and claimed the pilot survived.

Local Russian outlet Pepel, based in the Belgorod region, also reported a crash in Kursk’s Kornevsky district, lending further credibility to Ukraine’s account.

Since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, Russia is believed to have lost at least seven Su-35 jets due to various causes, including Ukrainian air defenses and friendly fire. According to Ukrainian claims, total Russian aircraft losses now exceed 400.

The Su-35 is a key component of Russia’s air assault capabilities, often used to launch Kh-59M and Kh-31 missiles as well as FAB and KAB guided bombs. It can carry up to 8,000 kilograms of munitions.

This latest loss comes just days after Ukraine's Security Service launched a major drone offensive targeting more than 40 Russian military aircraft. That strike, which reportedly damaged or destroyed strategic bombers and reconnaissance planes, was estimated by Kyiv to have inflicted over £5 billion in losses.

The Ukrainian agency also released footage from the drone operation, including a direct hit on a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber at the Belaya airbase in Siberia—a location already targeted multiple times.