Magical month: Ukraine shoots down 13 Russian planes worth over $1 billion – full list & infographic
Ukrainian Defense Forces achieved remarkable results in their combat against Russian aviation in February 2024, successfully downing 13 enemy aircraft worth over $1 billion.
NV has compiled all the details of this monumental achievement.
Including the three Su-34 jets Ukraine shot down on Feb. 29, Ukraine has now destroyed 345 Russian aircraft since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Read also: Russian aviation now less active over Sea of Azov, Ukraine says
The aircraft downed in February 2024 include:
Ten Su-34 fighter-bombers, each with an export value of around $50 million ($500 million in total). The Su-34s are among the most modern aircraft in Russia’s aviation arsenal, equipped with guided aerial bombs and Kh-59 air-to-surface missiles used to attack frontline regions in Ukraine. The Su-34, with a crew of two pilots, is roughly equivalent to the American F-15E Strike Eagle, a two-seat multirole fighter from the 1980s, capable of reaching speeds up to 1,900 km/h. Currently, Russia has dozens more Su-34s in service. Before the full-scale invasion, Russia produced 127 Su-34s, according to Defence Express.
Two Su-35 fighters, each valued at around $100 million ($200 million in total). These fourth-generation multirole fighters, previously described as the "main adversary" by the late Ukrainian Air Force ace pilot Andriy Pilyshchikov (callsign "Dzhus"), often provide air support for Russian combat aircraft, ranging from Su-34s to A-50s, reaching speeds up to 2,400 km/h.
One A-50U long-range radar detection aircraft, an exceedingly rare Russian plane valued at around $350 million, which Russia can no longer produce. These planes serve as airborne command centers, coordinating air and sea target detection and air defense operations. With a maximum speed of around 900 km/h, Ukraine has shot down two such aircraft since the start of 2024, with another A-50U damaged at the Belarusian Machulishchy airfield in February 2023.
Read also: Russia hopes to revive production of A-50 AWACS aircraft
In total, Ukraine's successful engagements in February 2024 led to the downing of Russian aircraft worth over $1 billion.
These 13 Russian planes were shot down over seven different days, with some days proving particularly "fruitful." Here's a timeline of February's "birdfall":
Feb. 17: 2 Su-34s, 1 Su-35
Feb. 18: 1 Su-34
Feb. 19: 1 Su-34, 1 Su-35
Feb.21: 1 Su-34
Feb. 23: 1 A-50U
Feb. 27: 2 Su-34s
Feb. 29: 3 Su-34s
Read also: Ukrainian forces down three more Russian Su-34 jets in one day – Air Force Commander
“February is the shortest month of the year, but our sky defenders have achieved the greatest results in downing Russian jets since October 2022,” Ukraine’s Defence Ministry wrote on X on Feb.29.
“It seems like being a Russian military plane pilot is the worst job in the world.”
Reflecting on Ukraine's extraordinary success in taking down Russian aviation in February 2024, Britain’s The Sun noted that Russian military aircraft are "dropping like flies" and suggested that these weeks have been "hellish days" for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Data sources: General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Institute for the Study of War, Forbes. The export value of the destroyed aircraft is provided.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
