Reports are screaming out of Bryansk Russia that Ukraine has downed at least five, and possibly as many as EIGHT Russian military aircraft, and did so INSIDE RUSSIA!
According to Russian Sources today has been the Worst Day in Decades for the Russian Air Force with 2 Mi-8 Transport Helicopters, 1 Su-34 Fighter/Bomber, and 1 Su-35 Air-Defense Fighter being Shot Down over the Bryansk Region of Western Russia by what is claimed to have been either Air-to-Air or Surface-to-Air Missiles which were Launched from Inside of Ukraine.
Pilots of the 4 Aircraft were killed in the Explosion and/or subsequent Crash.
Three of these are confirmed by local sources, with video.
The AA Missiles are likely from a US Patriot Missile System or French SAMP-T complex hidden somewhere in the city of Chernihiv.
In addition, the Ukrainian SU-24 that launched the missiles against Luhansk, and one of the two SU-29's escorting were shot down yesterday - allegedly by an S-400.
UPDATE 12:26 PM EDT --
Russian newspaper Kommersant is the first Russian source to confirm a total of four aircraft (Two Mi-8 an Su-34, and an Su-35) were shot down.
UPDATE 12:40 PM EDT --
According to preliminary information, the helicopters lost in the sky of the Bryansk region were Mi-8MTPR-1 electronic warfare (EW) helicopters with Rychag-AV active jamming stations installed on board.
The Rychag-AV complexes were created to interfere with the guidance stations of air defense systems and enemy aircraft, preventing the use of anti-aircraft and aircraft missiles at a distance of more than a hundred kilometers. However, today the Mi-8MTPR-1 turned out to be too close to the border.
Most likely, the EW helicopters were engaged in providing the strike of the Su-34 bomber on the next target in the Chernihiv region, and the Su-35 fighter covered.”
RUSSIA DENIES ! ! !
From the Russian Ministry of Defense:
"• The claim that two Mi-8 transport helicopters, one Su-34 fighter/bomber, and one Su-35 air-defense fighter were shot down over the Bryansk region of Western Russia by missiles launched from inside Ukraine was widely circulated on social media and some news outlets on May 13.
• However, there is no official confirmation or evidence to support this claim from either the Russian or the Ukrainian authorities. The Russian Defense Ministry denied that any of its aircraft were shot down by Ukraine and said that the reports were part of a disinformation campaign.
• The only verified incident that occurred on May 13, 2023 was the crash of a Su-34 fighter/bomber in the Bryansk region due to a technical malfunction. The two pilots ejected safely and were rescued by a helicopter. The Russian Defense Ministry released a video of the crash site and the rescue operation.
• The other reports of downed helicopters and planes were either based on unverified sources, false images, or old incidents that were unrelated to the current situation. For example, some of the images used to show the wreckage of a Mi-8 helicopter were actually from a crash that happened in 2019 in Siberia. Some of the videos used to show the launch of missiles from Ukraine were actually from a military exercise that took place in 2018 in Belarus.
• The claim that Ukraine shot down Russian aircraft over Bryansk was likely part of a propaganda war between the two countries amid rising tensions and violence along their border.
HAL TURNER CONTEXT --
It is possible the Russian MoD does not have up-to-the-minute info yet. At least one of the Mi-8's was hit by a missile; there's video evidence of the kill.
I'm pretty sure the Su-34 was also shot down.
The interesting fact is that these planes were shot down INSIDE RUSSIA 50Km from the Ukrainian border. That means long range SAM's, air to air ambush with US made missiles, or a squad of Ukrainian fighters with manpads crossed the border and hit the planes from up close.
We'll find out more soon.
Another certainty is that the Russians greatly increased the number of their bombing missions, so more targets are in the air to shoot at. Yesterday alone 145 bombing sorties were performed.
