Russia hunts for 'culprit' who shot down three Su-34s in one day

Ukraine says Russia is stepping up reconnaissance operations to hunt for the air defense system that shot down three Moscow Su-34 fighter-bombers in one day.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat said on December 24 that Russia has reduced the frequency of using Su-34 fighter-bombers to drop glide bombs on Ukrainian defense lines on the southern front, while increasing reconnaissance activities using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to track down enemy air defense systems.

The operation comes after Ukraine announced that the Odessa Air Defense Missile Brigade in the Kherson region shot down three Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers in the southern region in just one day. This is considered the biggest loss of the Russian air force in a single day since the beginning of the war.

"They are clearly hunting for the aircraft that destroyed those fighter bombers," Ignat said.

Ukraine's air defense did not reveal the equipment used to shoot down the Russian Su-34, but pro-Kiev social media accounts said it was a Patriot air defense system aided by the West.

Two Russian Su-34Ms preparing for takeoff on June 1. Photo: UAC — Two Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers preparing to take off on June 1. Photo: *UAC*

Mr Ignat said the incident had reduced the threat from Russian glide bombs, but said Ukraine still needed more air defence weapons to counter enemy aircraft.

"The Ukrainian Air Force can conduct similar operations on other fronts, but the problem here is that we need additional air defense systems. This is being discussed within the framework of our newly formed air defense alliance," the Ukrainian official said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said last month that a 20-nation coalition led by Germany and France had been formed to help Ukraine strengthen its air defenses. Details of the coalition, including its members and how it will operate, have not been released.

Also on December 24, Ukraine's air defense announced that it had shot down another Russian Su-34 fighter bomber near the city of Mariupol, but did not reveal the weapon used to shoot it down.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the information. The agency said on the same day that Russian air defenses had shot down four Ukrainian planes within 24 hours, including three Su-27 fighters and a Su-24 attack aircraft, respectively in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, southeastern Ukraine. Kiev has not confirmed Moscow's statement.

Russia has recently been using glide bombs to attack Ukraine, especially the Dnieper River area, the front line on the Kherson front. PS01, a social media account specializing in reporting on the war in Ukraine, said the Russian air force dropped an average of about 100 bombs on this area every day. These glide bombs were mainly dropped from Russian Su-34 fighter bombers.

Patriot air defense missile complex in Warsaw, Poland on February 7. Photo: Reuters — Patriot air defense missile complex in Warsaw, Poland on February 7. Photo: *Reuters*

Kiev has called on Western countries to deliver more long-range missiles and air defense weapons to counter Russian airstrikes. Germany last week delivered another Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, bringing the number of systems Kiev has to three. President Zelensky said on December 19 that Ukraine would receive more Patriot systems this winter, but did not disclose the specific time or quantity.

Patriot is an air defense missile developed by the United States and has been in service with the country's military since 1981, capable of hitting targets 160 km away and flying up to 24 km high. Valeriy Romanenko, a Ukrainian aviation expert, said that the Russian Su-34 pilots were not aware of the Patriot's long-range interception capabilities, leading to the shooting down of three of the country's Su-34s on December 22.

"They flew together and were detected. They did not expect that the Patriot complex has a range of up to 160 km with the target being an aircraft," the expert said.