UKRAINE
Russia risks aircraft losses for tactical gains in Ukraine
March 6, 2024 - Russia’s recent gains in the east have been aided by more aggressive air support on the front lines. But that also has helped Ukraine shoot down more enemy planes.
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Ukraine's military said at the end of February that its forces had destroyed 13 Russian aircraft since February 17. This included 10 Su-34 fighter-bomber jets, two Su-35 jets and one Russian A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft.
On Saturday, Ukraine's air force then said it had downed a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber, just one day after Kyiv said it had taken out another Su-34 close to the Russian-controlled southern city of Mariupol.
Although difficult to pin down a precise figure for any Russian aircraft, a single A-50 radar detection plane is worth a ballpark figure of $300 million. Each Su-34 is thought to come with a price tag between approximately $36 and $50 million, and an Su-35 costs in the region of $40 million, according to Newsweek.