Monitoring channels reported that an American Patriot missile shot down Russia’s Su-34 bomber around 11:20 p.m. local time, with the aircraft flying from Russia’s Armavir airbase toward the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region.
Pro-Russian Telegram channels like AviVector and Fighterbomber detailed the loss, with the latter’s post suggesting crew ejected according to the unfiltered image of the marked ’21’ jet.
Ukraine has downed dozens of these frontline bombers since 2022. Visual wreckage has emerged as of late February 21, adding to strains on Russia’s limited Su-34 production.
The aircraft were believed to be Su-34 fighter-bombers, one of Russia’s most heavily used strike jets in its war against Ukraine.
The Su-34 is a twin-engine, supersonic fighter-bomber designed to deliver guided bombs, cruise missiles, and anti-ship weapons.
Russia has relied on the aircraft for long-range strikes on Ukrainian cities, frontline bombing runs, and operations in the Ukraine war.
Each jet is estimated to cost $45 millions and requires trained crews that are difficult to replace.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russian forces lost at least one aircraft and hundreds of drones over the past day as Ukrainian air defenses continued to counter Moscow’s aerial campaign.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russia’s air power both at the front and deep in the rear. Last year, the SBU’s elite Alpha unit conducted drone strikes on multiple Russian airfields, destroying aircraft, fuel facilities, and ammunition depots in operations caused more than $1 billion in damage.
© 2026, GDC. © GDC and www.globaldefensecorp.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to www.globaldefensecorp.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
