Ukraine claims downing 2 Russian fighter jets, totaling six in three days

Ukraine reported the destruction of two more Russian fighter jets on Monday, extending its claimed count to six jets downed within a mere three days, Forbes reported. 

Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's armed forces commander-in-chief, affirmed the air force's success, stating, "A Su-34 fighter-bomber and a Su-35S fighter jet were destroyed on Monday morning." These aircraft were targeted while launching guided air bombs at Ukrainian troop positions.

This announcement follows Mykola Oleshchuk's declaration that four Russian aircraft were destroyed over the weekend, consisting of three Su-34s and one Su-35. The Su-34, valued at $50 million each, is esteemed as Russia's top fighter bomber, while the Su-35 boasts a bomb load exceeding 17,000 pounds.

Despite Ukraine's air force being outnumbered and outmoded by Russia, it has effectively constrained Russian air power, confining its operations to its airspace. Professor Justin Bronk of the UK-based Royal United Services Institute commended Ukraine's accomplishment, remarking that it has rendered Russia's air force "largely irrelevant to the conflict."

Ukraine has previously downed Russian jets, including three Su-34s in December and a rare A-50 radar early-warning plane in January. Rajan Manon, a director at the US-based Defense Priorities think tank, labelled these losses as "embarrassing" for Russia.

In response to ongoing conflict, Ukraine has sought fighter jets from allies like the US. Plans for supplying US-manufactured F-16s are underway, with expectations for Ukraine's air force to attain "initial operating capability" on the F-16s by year-end, as per a Pentagon official's statement last month.