Ukraine Claims To Shoot Down Russian Plane But Moscow Says The Plane Crashed

In a significant development marking the first instance since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago, Ukrainian authorities have announced the downing of a Russian long-range bomber utilized for launching cruise missiles into Ukrainian territory.

According to a news agency, Ukraine’s military said in a statement, “For the first time, anti-aircraft missile units of the air force in cooperation with the defence intelligence of Ukraine destroyed a Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bomber.” The official Twitter account of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry also confirmed the incident, stating, “The Ukrainian Air Force shot down the enemy Tu-22M3 strategic bomber, which Russia used to attack Ukrainian cities. In addition, our warriors repelled another massive air attack and shot down 29 aerial targets: 2 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles; 14 Shahed UAVs; 11 Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air missiles; 2 Kh-22 cruise missiles.”

Russian officials on the other hand dubbed the incident as crashed and reported the death of one crew member after the aircraft crashed over the southern Stavropol region while returning to base. “An aircraft belonging to the Russian armed forces, a Tu-22M3, crashed in the Stavropol region while returning to the base aerodrome after completing a combat mission. The pilots ejected,” stated Russia’s defence ministry, as reported by a state-run news agency.

In a Telegram post, Stavropol governor Vladimir Vladimirov confirmed the casualty of one crew member and informed that two others were hospitalized. He further stated, “The search for the fourth pilot is ongoing.”

Stavropol, situated in Russia’s north Caucasus and east of the annexed Crimean peninsula, has witnessed multiple attacks during the conflict. According to the AFP report citing the governor, the crash occurred in the Krasnogvardeysky district of the region, approximately 400 km from the eastern border of Crimea.

Ukraine’s defence ministry’s main intelligence directorate reported, “The aircraft was shot down approximately 300 kilometres from Ukraine. Despite sustaining damage, the bomber managed to fly to the Stavropol area before crashing.” The Russian invasion commenced in February 2022.

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