At least one Russian Su-35S Flanker-E fighter jet was shot down by Ukrainian air defense forces in the eastern part of the country.
The Ukrainian military says the plane crashed Sunday near the city of Izyum, about 75 miles southeast of Kharkiv.
The Su-35 ejected and survived, according to officials.
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As noted by Milirarnyi, the Russian pilot’s name is Sergei Yermalov – he is a major in the Russian Air Force. Served in the 159th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (stationed at Besovets airport, Republic of Karelia, the regiment received its first Su-35C in 2016).
Serhiy Yermalov says he has already made 15 sorties into Ukraine. The pilot’s final combat mission was to search for Ukrainian air defense units. The plane he flew last was armed with anti-radar missiles and guided bombs.
According to TASS, the Su-35S is a heavily upgraded 4++ generation super-cruise multirole fighter, developed on the basis of fifth-generation technology. The Su-35S is distinguished by a new set of avionics based on an information control system, a new radar, an increased power plasma ignition engine and thrust vectoring.
The Su-35S has been in service with the Russian Army since 2015.
Meanwhile, the Russian military said earlier in March that it had knocked down all Ukrainian bases and air defenses.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the Russian strikes had “destroyed the air defense means of the Ukrainian army”, adding that “the infrastructure of Ukraine’s military bases has been rendered inoperable”. “.
