Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat confirmed the involvement of the Ukrainian Air Force in the downing of five Russian aircraft in Bryansk Region in May 2023. At that time, Patriot air defence systems shot down Russian Su-34 and Su-35, two Mi-8MTPR-1 electronic warfare helicopters and a Mi-8 multipurpose helicopter.
"It was a brilliant operation led by the Air Force Commander. Thanks to non-standard decisive actions, Patriot air defence systems destroyed five aircraft in five minutes in the Bryansk area, from where they then bombed our northern regions with guided bombs," the spokesman said in an interview with Novynarnia.
That day, Russia lost at least one Su-34 and one Su-35, two rare Mi-8MTPR-1 air defence helicopters, and another Mi-8 over the Black Sea.
In May, a Su-34 fighter-bomber and a Su-35 fighter jet were shot down almost simultaneously near the border with Ukraine in Russia's Bryansk Region, as well as two Mi-8 helicopters of the Russian Aerospace Forces on the outskirts of the city of Klintsy. All of them were part of the same air group - the fighters were to launch a missile and bomb attack on targets in Chernihiv Region of Ukraine, and the helicopters were to provide backup, including picking up the Sukhoi crews if they were shot down. All four vehicles did not return to the airfield, and their crews were killed.