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Russian defense officials claimed their forces have shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29, which marks a significant blow to Ukrainian air power as Kyiv seeks to push deeper into the Kursk region.
Newsweek could not independently verify Russia’s report, and has reached out to the Ukrainian and Russian Foreign Ministries for comment.
Why It Matters
Kyiv has focused most heavily on the air power aspect of the conflict with Russia, pushing for support from NATO in the form of new planes. At the end of 2023, Ukraine’s air force had around 24 MiG-29 jets, also known as Fulcrum, according to the U.K.-based think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
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What To Know
Russian news agency TASS on Sunday reported that Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down a MiG-29.
“Combat aviation of Russia’s Aerospace Forces has taken down a MiG-29 jet of the Ukrainian air force,” the ministry said. It also claimed to have destroyed several “Western-made armor pieces” such as the Bradley fighting vehicle.
“Seventeen counterattacks by the Ukrainian armed forces have been repelled,” the ministry said, according to Russian outlet RT. “The enemy has lost more than 410 soldiers, two Leopard tanks manufactured in Germany, an infantry fighting vehicle, and three armored personnel carriers, including an M113 made in the United States.”
Estimates from the Russians across the past year have claimed that its forces have destroyed over 600 Ukrainian warplanes, nearly 300 helicopters, nearly 25,000 unmanned aerial vehicles, hundreds of missile systems and over 16,000 tanks and armored vehicles.
The announcement follows a contentious exchange between the two forces over the weekend in which Moscow warned that it would retaliate against Kyiv for an attempted strike using eight U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).
What People Are Saying
The Russian Defense Ministry denounced Friday’s attack as a major escalation and said, “These actions by the Kyiv regime, which is supported by Western curators, will be met with retaliation.”
What Happens Next
Ukraine will continue to try to maintain its foothold in the Kursk region in Russia, and Moscow will continue trying to push deeper into Ukraine and