Ukraine destroys 43 Russian Su-34 bombers: what it means for Russia

Ukrainian forces have already destroyed 43 Russian Su-34 bombers, with seven more aircraft damaged. The figures come from Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR). The strikes hit aircraft hundreds of kilometres from the front line, and in recent weeks they have become more frequent.

The Su-34 is one of the main aircraft Russian aviation uses to drop guided bombs on Ukrainian cities. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian forces currently have about 140 of these bombers. Each lost aircraft weakens the bombing campaign, because replacing it takes a lot of time and money.

Why the losses hurt

Intelligence officials say such losses are quite significant for the aggressor’s air fleet. Rebuilding it requires a long production cycle, substantial funds and specialised industrial cooperation.

Ukrainian estimates suggest Russia can produce 14 to 18 Su-34 aircraft a year. That means replacing all the destroyed machines will take at least two and a half years. So far, Ukraine has not managed to deprive Russian forces of the ability to carry out massive air strikes.

Another strike weeks earlier

Two weeks earlier, a Ukrainian attack in the Voronezh region destroyed four Su-34s and damaged two more. As in other cases, the Russian airfield was hit with Neptune missiles, which can strike targets up to a thousand kilometres away.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz