Russia Shoots Down Its Own Sukhoi 34-M Warplane

Russian air-defense forces have just shot down one of the most advanced jets engaged in Russia's wider conflict in Ukraine. One problem. It was their very own Russian fighter jet. A brand-new Sukhoi Su-34M bomber-fighter, David Axe reported for Forbes early on July 19, 2022.

Photo Insert: A Russian Sukhoi Su-34M bomber-fighter

Apparently, Russian propagandist Yevgeny Poddubny captured on film the Sunday spectacle above the city of Alchevsk in eastern Ukraine under Russian occupation.

“Last night, the air-defense crew of the allied forces destroyed a target in the sky over Alchevsk,” Poddubny wrote on Monday. “The nature of the target is not clear. The burning ball fell to the ground for more than a minute.”

A video of the wreckage confirms the identity of the aircraft: It is the Su-34M with the registration number RF-95890, one of around ten Su-34Ms that Sukhoi has supplied to the Russian air force so far.

The Kremlin contracted United Aircraft Corp.'s Sukhoi division in May 2020 to produce 76 Su-34Ms at an annual pace of eight to fourteen aircraft through 2027, at a cost of approximately $50 million each unit. The 76 Su-34s should be enough to equip two regiments and finally replace the last few aged Su-24 bombers in the Russian air force.

The 277th Bomber Aviation Regiment, the first Su-34M unit, started operational earlier this month. The Russian state-run media has reported that a portion of the 277th has established a base near Ukraine.

The Su-34 borrows the airframe of the Su-27 fighter but adds side-by-side seating for two in the cockpit. The Su-34 carries 12 tons of bombs and missiles, including air-to-air missiles, and can strike targets up to 600 miles distant. The Su-34 is equipped with a 30-millimeter gun.

It is equipped with a multi-mode radar and Khibiny electronic countermeasures. The aircraft, which costs approximately $40 million, is comparable to the F-15E of the United States Air Force. All this sophistication did not prevent the Russians from shooting down the Su-34M by accident.

RF-95890 is the eleventh Su-34 that the Russians have lost over Ukraine since expanding their campaign there on February 23. This represents roughly one-tenth of all Su-34s manufactured by Sukhoi.

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