Ukrainian Air Force reportedly shoot down a Russian Su-35 Flanker-S fighter jet over the occupied town of Nova Kakhovka, Kherson region.
“Around 8:00 p.m. on July 19, a Russian fighter jet was shot down by the Anti-Aircraft Missile Troops unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Nova Kakhovka area,” the Ukrainian Air Force said in a Twitter post Tuesday.
According to a tweet, the fighter tried to attack Ukrainian close air support jets.
The pilot managed to eject and was rescued by Russian forces, according to local social media.
Reportedly, a Russian Sukhoi Su-35 downed in Ukraine’s Kherson region. pic.twitter.com/wqPmv36Oll
— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) July 19, 2022
The Su-35 is the latest generation of the Soviet-era Su-27 fighter jet. It is a twin-engine, multirole air superiority fighter aircraft powered by two AL-117S turbofan engines and fitted with thrust vectoring nozzles allowing the aircraft to attain “super maneuverability”.
The jet carries a 30mm cannon, has 12 hardpoints and can detect targets at more than 400 kilometers, while its radar can track up to 30 targets simultaneously. The fighter has a range in excess of 3,500 kilometers without refueling.