The Russian Su-34 fighter, the loss of which by the Russians became known on October 12, could have been shot down by a Ukrainian F-16 aircraft.
This is stated in a report by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
ISW notes that one of the Russian Telegram channels, which is allegedly run by Russian airborne officers and the headquarters of the Russian Dnepr group of forces, reported that a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet allegedly shot down a Su-34 while it was dropping high-explosive shells. aerial bombs (FAB) with unified planning and correction modules (UMPC) at a distance of about 50 km from the front line.
The same Telegram channel later responded to claims from other bloggers that the Su-34 could have crashed due to a technical malfunction or human error, noting that such hypothetical scenarios still highlight the problem of wear and tear on Russian aircraft, as well as unprofessionalism and attrition among pilots.
The Telegram channel accused Kremlin-linked military bloggers of lying about the Su-34 crash and preventing Russian forces from developing plans to counter the Ukrainian F-16s.
ISW cannot independently confirm the statement of the Telegram channel, but if it is confirmed, this incident will be the first Ukrainian damage to a Russian manned aircraft by an F-16 fighter provided by the West, ISW summarizes.
Source: Racurs
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