Russian forces in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine shot down their own Su-35 fighter aircraft in a friendly fire incident.
The Sukhoi Su-35 (NATO reporting name: Flanker-E), which is one of the Russian Air Force’s most advanced aircraft, burst into flames over the city of Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region in the early hours of 29 September. Pro-Russian military channels acknowledged that a fighter jet was destroyed by a Russian S-300 air defence system, with the pilot believed to have been killed in the process.
According to a report from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) prior to the latest incident, Russia has lost around 90 fixed-wing aircraft since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. The MoD assessed that the Russian Aerospace Forces’ (VKS) long-term tactical air power is likely to decline as the conflict continues.
The Sukhoi Su-35 is a deep modernization of the Su-27 fighter aircraft. They are single-seat, twin-engine, supermaneuverable multi-role fighters, designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and built by Sukhoi.
