Unverified reports have emerged suggesting that a Russian aircraft or drone was downed over Ukraine's Donetsk region on Saturday, potentially as a result of friendly fire.
The aircraft was allegedly launching guided aerial bombs at Ukrainian positions when it was shot down by its own ground troops.
As reported by Newsweek, the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper has suggested that the downed aircraft was either an Su-25 ground support jet or a Hunter S-70 drone. The incident was captured in footage shared on social media, showing an aircraft being hit mid-air by a missile and the remnants of an aircraft post-crash. However, it remains uncertain whether both clips are from the same incident.
Russian forces have been making slow progress in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, which was annexed by President Vladimir Putin in September 2022. This advancement, however, has come at a high price, with heavy casualties reported. Earlier this week, the Ukrainian military confirmed its withdrawal from Vuhledar, a city in Donetsk province with a pre-war population of approximately 14,000, following weeks of intense combat. Despite this, Putin's troops continue to face challenges in recapturing parts of Russia's Kursk province, which were seized by Ukrainian forces in a surprise offensive in August.
Ukrainska Pravda, citing a source in the Ukrainian air force, reported that the Russian aircraft was downed over the Donbas in a friendly fire incident. The aircraft was reportedly hit while dropping glide bombs, inexpensive yet powerful explosive devices that have been used to decimate Ukrainian defenses. Russian military bloggers have also reported the destruction of one of their aircraft, though some details remain unclear.
Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine's internal affairs minister, shared footage of the destroyed aircraft, stating, "Videos appeared online showing a Russian Su-25 that crashed in Donetsk region. There is unconfirmed information that it could have been friendly fire by Russians themselves." Gerashchenko later suggested that the aircraft could have been "a Russian Hunter S-70 drone that was allegedly carrying out a reconnaissance flight," citing a Russian military Telegram channel.
In a separate incident on Saturday, the Ukrainian military released a video allegedly showing a Russian tank being destroyed by a drone dropping molten thermite over it. Over the past few weeks, several videos have been published showing Ukrainian "dragon drones" dropping thermite, a mixture of aluminum and rust that burns at extremely high temperatures, over Russian positions.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry also released its latest estimate for Russian casualty figures over the past 24 hours on Saturday. Kyiv claimed that the Russians had suffered 1,280 casualties, and lost eight tanks and 31 infantry fighting vehicles, over this period, though this claim has not been independently verified.
Angelica Evans, a Russia researcher with the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War think tank, reported that as of October 3, Moscow controlled 98.8 percent of Ukraine's Luhansk province. The Luhansk and Donetsk provinces together constitute the Donbas.
Login