Russia is losing another „backbone”: the Su-25. Fighter jets play a major role in the Ukraine war – on both sides.

Khortytsiya – “Another enemy Su-25 fighter jet is burning in the Ukrainian steppes of Donbass,” the message says triumphantly. Ukrainian News Agency ocrinform It was reported that their air defenses appeared to have taken another hit Vladimir Putin The flying fleet has landed.

A Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft is said to have been hit and destroyed by a shell from an anti-aircraft gun. However, in the video cited as evidence from the island of Khortytsya near Zaporizhia, a huge gunshot is heard, accompanied by smoke as if coming from the mouth. Accordingly, it is possible Russia the Ukraine war In fact it costs another fighter jet.

So far, about 100 Russian combat aircraft are said to be out of service, according to various media consensus estimates. A disaster for Putin’s invading army: “You can twist and turn it as you like: the Sukhoi Su-25 is the epitome of an attack aircraft,” the magazine wrote Trip review. Accordingly, ground attack aircraft are participating from both sides. The Su-25 may form the backbone of the ground “special operation,” according to the Russian news agency TASS He proposed in May last year. Russian arms manufacturer Rostec then began planning to increase its combat value by further developing the aircraft’s armament – even though the basic model is already more than 40 years old.

The classic car „reloaded”: Belarus plans to relaunch the „backbone” of Putin.

“It is worth noting that the effectiveness of the latest modification of the Su-25SM3 has increased significantly; The aircraft can also use high-precision weapons. “We will continue to improve this machine taking into account the experience in the North-West,” said Vladimir Artyakov. TASS. The Deputy Director General of Rostec confirmed that the aircraft was designed to support ground units and destroy objects with pre-determined coordinates and in any weather, referring – at that time a year after the attack – to the experience of battles in Ukraine. .

He added: „The image of the flying tank will not disappear from the sky any time soon, even in the absence of suitable alternatives.”

In addition to massive onboard guns and unguided missiles, the standard armament of attack aircraft now consists primarily of glide bombs, which are currently causing enormous problems for Ukraine – including the Russian attack on Kharkiv. The SU-25 is said to be capable of carrying KAB-500 and KAB-1500 glide bombs. In this regard, current developments on the Ukrainian battlefield also worry NATO. Not only is Russia planning to modernize models that entered service in 1981, but planning for a new model of this type actually began after the first year of the war.

The Belarusian President has been a diligent partner Alexander Lukashenko He explained: “As the government told me, they are ready to produce the Su-25, which has proven itself in Ukraine, as a fighter aircraft, a workhorse. “We are even ready to produce it in Belarus if the Russian Federation provides a little technological support.” Belta. What is striking is that Belarus has never built aircraft.

„Frogfoot” on both sides: Ukraine also used the plane – against Luhansk

„Frogfoot” is the name of the aircraft in NATO language a star Shortly after the war began, he had praised it as „obsolete but almost indestructible”. However, this adulation seems misplaced: depending on the source, Russia is said to have already lost as many as 31 of its “pillars of action,” while Ukraine lost an estimated 19, although technical flaws may also have played a role in addition to The alleged shootings. For example, North Macedonia gave Ukraine four flightless Sukhoi 25s – perhaps only for dismantling. According to the statistics website oryx Ukraine also seized 14 Su-25 aircraft from Bulgaria; It has been purchased for Ukraine by other NATO partners

During the early conflicts over the annexation of Crimea, Ukraine reportedly used a Su-25 against the city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, held by pro-Russian separatists – where eight civilians were killed by unguided rocket fire and large shells. Caliber ammunition: “The bloodbath came suddenly and unexpectedly. It happened in the center of the city, in a building adjacent to a green square where civilians were walking and working. Eight people were killed, five women and three men, the Luhansk People’s Republic announced. Authorities in Kiev reported Same number CNN I mentioned. „Frog’s feet” are said to have played the main role.

Prelude to escalation: Russia shot down the Ukrainian Su-25 plane ten years ago

It appeared to be a prelude to what would escalate ten years later: “This is believed to be the first time civilians have been killed or injured in a Ukrainian air force attack since pro-Russian groups began attacking buildings in Ukraine more than two months ago.” To occupy the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. CNN tracking. The US news station asked a ballistics expert to identify the size and pattern of the bullet holes as 30mm munitions, “which is part of the standard equipment of the Su-25 and Su-27 ground attack aircraft – both Ukrainian fighter jets.” CNN executed.

The Su-25 was also the first fast-flying fighter jet lost by the Ukrainian Air Force to Russian fire, with the incident dating back to July 16, 2014, according to the blog. Airhead fly Documented. Airhead fly It lists five other Ukrainian Su-25 kills in 2014 alone. The blog assumed a total Ukrainian stock of 36 such devices in 2014. According to the database FlightGlobal Russia will have 176 Su-25s in 2024. Other sources talk about up to 200 machines of various modifications.

Putin’s clumsy technology: map navigation, vision, and sticky chips

Reported in 2017 Defense and Security Monitor About Russian announcements to stop production of this type completely. The aircraft has been in service since 1981 with approximately 1,000 units – its first flight took place in the mid-1970s. The machines seem to be working Imitation of simple but almost indestructible Russian military technology He continued how a star– Author Gernot Kramber says: “Russian planes became famous when it became known that pilots had to carry out their missions without a navigation system, and had to fly to their destinations according to maps and vision. They were only able to obtain civilian external navigation systems through crowdfunding at home. Which was then attached to the cockpit with an adhesive film.