The Ukrainian Air Force shot down a Russian Su-35 fighter jet worth $100m over the Black Sea

In little more than a week, the Russian aerospace forces have lost at least two Su-35 fighter jets. The second was shot down on the evening of May 21 over the Black Sea.

Here's What We Know

Information about the destruction of the Russian plane appeared on social media. Very quickly it was confirmed by Dmitriy Pletenchuk, head of the press service of the Kherson defence force. He called the shooting down of the fighter jet "an incredible sight", but deleted the publication a few minutes later. So the official confirmation had to wait until morning. The Air Force statement also noted the destruction of four X-101/555 cruise missiles and 20 Shahed-131/136 kamikaze drones.

We noted at the beginning of the piece that the Russian federation had lost at least two Su-35s in a few days. The first was shot down on 13 May. Moreover, at the time of the destruction the plane was in Russian airspace.

The Su-35 is a generation 4++ fighter. It can reach speeds up to 2,500 km/h (M=2.3) and can fly 3,600 km without additional fuel tanks. The cost of the aircraft for the Russian army is unknown. Judging by the previously signed contracts, the export price of the fighter reaches $100 million.

Source: @kpszsu