3 more Ukrainian fighter jets shot down, says Russia

Russia on Thursday said it downed three more Ukrainian fighter jets in overnight operations.

A Su-24, a Su-25 and a Su-27 were shot down by Russian air defense systems in three different areas of Ukraine, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a press briefing in Moscow.

He said another 14 unmanned aerial vehicles and two rockets of the Smerch multiple rocket launcher were also destroyed.

High-precision missiles were used to target aviation equipment at Ukraine’s Kanatovo military airfield, a large ammunition depot and a fuel depot, the spokesman added.

Russian forces struck 93 areas where Ukrainian soldiers and military equipment were present, as well as multiple command posts and other strategic targets, according to the spokesman.

“Artillery units hit 32 control points, five ammunition depots, 403 strong points, areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment, as well as 51 positions of Ukrainian artillery. More than 600 nationalists and 61 units of weapons and military equipment were destroyed,” said Konashenkov.

“In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 149 aircraft, 112 helicopters, 726 unmanned aerial vehicles, 288 anti-aircraft missile systems, 2,834 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 325 multiple rocket launchers, 1,306 field artillery and mortars, as well as 2,646 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed," he said.

At least 3,238 civilians have been killed and 3,397 others injured in Ukraine since the war began on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates. The true toll is feared to be much higher.

Over 5.7 million people have fled to other countries, with some 7.7 million more internally displaced, data from the UN refugee agency shows.