In a newly released military video, a Ukrainian soldier appears to shoot down a Russian Su-25 airplane with a shoulder-fired missile launcher.
The soldier can be seen shooting a rocket over level terrain, striking the jet in the distance, which causes a distant explosion in the video shared on Telegram by the Ukrainian 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, according to Business Insider. The viral video highlights the continued escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
In the 18-second footage, a Ukrainian soldier fires an Igla MANPADS (Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems) against a Russian Su-25 flying low. The missile launcher points, shouts, and celebrates as it strikes the Russian jet fighter.
In the east, a Ukrainian soldier from the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade targets a low-flying Russian Su-25 with an Igla MANPADS, scoring a hit. pic.twitter.com/cz1hQSwKHv
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 28, 2023
The Sukhoi Su-25, NATO codename Frogfoot, is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft used for ground assaults, close air support, and air interdiction operations directly supporting ground troops, per Eurasian Times.
Ukrainian forces are employing the Igla MANPADS, an anti-aircraft missile developed by Russia, along with military hardware from Western allies against Moscow's jet fighters.
The Su-25 mostly flies at low altitudes to engage ground targets, making it vulnerable to MANPADS and enemy air defense systems. Russia and Ukraine utilize the Soviet-era Su-25 attack aircraft in the fight. It was the plane that lost the most men throughout the war.
The General Staff of Kyiv earlier stated that, since Russia invaded the country, Ukrainian troops have destroyed 314 Russian aircraft, including 299 helicopters, as The Kyiv Independent reported.
Ukraine's Counter-Strike Continues
The latest video came out as Russia-Ukraine tensions escalate further. Ukraine has been counterattacking Russian-occupied territory in the east and south.
Russian soldiers are allegedly being driven back across the front line by Ukrainian forces, who claim to have gained the strategic initiative in the fight. As the situation escalates, incidents like the downing of the Su-25 point to continuous bloodshed in the region.
Meanwhile, Russian missiles hit a rural school near the frontline in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region on Friday, causing tragedy that killed two women and injured six others, per The Independent.
Ukraine decried the bombing and claimed Russian soldiers targeted a school with people inside. Donetsk's prosecutor is investigating.
