26 Russian helicopters, 12 planes destroyed on ground, not in the air – Ukrainian Air Force

When President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about 26 “downed” Russian helicopters and 12 planes, he was referring to their destruction on the ground, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuriy Ihnat, stated on national television on Jan. 12.

Zelenskyy said on Jan. 11 that, thanks to Western weapons, Ukraine “downed 26 helicopters in a day.”

“Everyone knows perfectly well what was meant,” said Ihnat.

“Not downed, but destroyed. I think it’s about things that everyone discussed a long time ago and somewhat forgot. It’s the destruction of enemy aircraft — helicopters and planes — directly at the airfield bases.”

Russia has lost a total of 329 planes and 324 helicopters since Feb. 24, 2022, according to the General Staff.

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Over the course of the full-scale war, Ukraine has reported numerous successful strikes that managed to destroy Russian aircraft on the ground.

In particular, on the night of Oct. 17, 2023, Ukrainian Armed Forces struck at Russian airfields near occupied Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhya Oblast and in Luhansk, destroying at least nine helicopters and numerous other objects, including enemy air defense.

This represented the largest single loss of helicopters, and one of the biggest losses for Russian aviation, since the invasion of Ukraine. After the successful attack, Zelenskyy announced that agreements with U.S. President Joe Biden were being implemented and that long-range ATACMS missiles had “proved themselves.”

Read also: Iran could soon supply Russia with a new batch of ballistic missiles and drones – UA Air Force

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine