The Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down a Russian Su-24M strike jet near the coast of Zmiinyi Island (Snake Island) in the Black Sea on December 5th.
The Russian swing-wing Su-24 Fencer jet was reportedly shot down as it attempted a missile and bomb strike toward southern Odesa.
Russian sources reported the immediate dispatch of a Mi-8 helicopter from a search and rescue unit to the crash site, but the crew of the downed aircraft remains undiscovered.
Colonel Yuriy Ignat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, reported via Facebook that Russians also deployed an An-26 aircraft in search of the two missing crew members of the Su-24.
“At present, the Russian search and rescue aircraft An-26 is attempting to locate the Russian pilots in the Black Sea waters – the crew of the Su-24M bomber,” he wrote.