Vladimir Putin suffered a devastating loss as Ukraine reported destroying a £30 million Russian bomber in its latest attack on the enemy.
The Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate claimed Kyiv’s forces struck an SU-34 aircraft during a strike on the Morozovsk Airfield in Rostov Oblast, southwestern Russia.
The Ukrainians said several buildings at the airbase were damaged in the bombing as it also struck ammunition deposits.
The Sukhoi Su-34 is one of the main aircraft Russia has been relying on since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The twin-engine, twin-seat medium-range fighter bomber was first developed in the 1980s but the project was put on the back burner after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Putin’s military revived the programme a little over a decade ago, with the SU-34 formally entering service in 2014.
The attack on Morozovsk Airfield is in line with a surge of long-range attacks against Russian targets, officials said.
The uptick in attacks since July comes as Ukraine mounts pressure on allies to allow it to use long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia.
Western allies, in particular the US, have so far resisted, fearing escalation from Moscow.
