Several Ukrainian sources closely linked to the military have reported the loss of one of Russia’s advanced Su-35 fighter jets in the Kursk region.
The Telegram channel “Polkovnik GSh” hinted at the loss in its messages, and various Ukrainian monitoring groups have stated that Russia withdrew its strike aircraft following the downing of the Su-35.
According to these reports, Russian aviation has ceased using Su-35 and Su-34 aircraft from high altitudes in the area of the Ukrainian breakthrough, instead focusing on Su-25 and attack helicopters that use unguided munitions rather than precision-guided rocket and bomb weaponry.
While Russian sources have not confirmed the loss of the Su-35, they do acknowledge the concentration of Ukrainian air defense systems in this section of the front.
Ilya Tumanov, a prominent figure in the Russian military aviation community and administrator of the ‘Fighterbomber’ channel, commented on the situation, stating that Russian military aviation is attempting to slow the Ukrainian advance and allow Russian reserves to mobilize. He also noted that Ukrainian forces are actively using air defense systems in this area, reducing the effectiveness of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
The shift in Russian tactics, focusing more on lower-altitude aircraft and attack helicopters, indicates an adaptation to the heightened air defense threat posed by Ukrainian forces.