Ukraine downs a Russian fighter jet, Moscow’s bloggers say pilot survived
Russian commentators said the pilot survived and was rescued as open-source channels disputed whether Ukraine downed a Su-34 or Su-35.
- On Wednesday, July 8, 2026, the Ukrainian Air Force announced the destruction of a Russian Su-35 multirole fighter jet in the eastern direction, though no official Russian confirmation has been issued.
- Russian military commentator Oleksii Zemtsov, who operates the Telegram channel Voevoda Veshchaet, acknowledged the aircraft loss, identifying the jet as a Su-35 and claiming the pilot survived and reached Russian-held positions.
- The Su-35 is Russia's advanced 4.5-generation multirole fighter serving as a primary air superiority platform; Russian factories delivered only 10 of the 12 units ordered in 2024, according to the Royal United Services Institute.
- This incident coincides with July 8 drone strikes on the Borisoglebsk military airfield in the Voronezh region, where Ukraine increasingly targets fuel and logistics infrastructure to disrupt Russian aviation operations.
- Zelenskyy told the NATO Defense Industry Forum in Ankara on July 7 that current Patriot production remains insufficient to meet growing demand for protection against incoming ballistic missiles.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Ukraine says it downed Russian Su-35. Replacing it won’t be easy
Ukraine's Air Force said it shot down a Russian Su-35 multirole fighter on 8 July. The Air Force reported the shootdown in the eastern direction. No imagery of the downed aircraft has been published, and the claim has not been independently verified. The Su-35 (NATO code Flanker-E) is Russia's most advanced 4th-generation multirole fighter. Russia entered its full-scale war in February 2022 with around 100 Su-35s and had lost eight in 45 months …
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dvhn.nlThe Ukrainian population has been living in uncertainty for over four years due to Russian terror. Peace talks have yielded little results so far, and the fighting continues. Follow the latest developments regarding the war in Ukraine in our live blog.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that it shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-35 multi-role fighter jet on Wednesday. The Russian side has not officially confirmed the loss of the aircraft, but the Russian news channel Voevoda Veshchayet, which is run on Telegram by Russian military pilots on active duty, reported the shooting down.
Ukraine downs a Russian fighter jet, Moscow’s bloggers say pilot survived
Ukraine’s Air Force says it shot down another Russian fighter jet, announcing the kill in a brief statement that leaned more on bravado than battlefield detail. “Good news from the Air Force! Today we subtracted another Russian air terrorist! Glory to Ukraine! More to come!” the Air Force said in its official statement. The claim […]
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