UK Ministry of Defense: Russia 'Highly Likely' Shot Down Its Own Fighter

Russian Air Force twin engine Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker fighter bomber war plane flying aerial detail exterior view. [Credit: Shutterstock]

A Russian Su-35S Flanker fighter jet was recently shot down over a highly contested area of Ukraine, likely brought down by Russian forces, according to British intelligence officials.

"On 28 September 2023, Russian air defence forces highly likely shot down one of their of Su-35S FLANKER M multi-role combat jets over Tokmak, approximately 20 km behind the current front line," the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Wednesday in a message on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Although Russia has lost around 90 fixed-wing aircraft since the start of the invasion, this is probably only the fifth loss of a Su-35S, Russia's most advanced combat jet in widespread service,” the Ministry of Defense said. “The location is relevant because Tokmak is a heavily fortified town, which often hosts Russian headquarters commanding one of the most intensely contested sectors of the front line."

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Russian-made Su-35 fighter jets are known to be fast and agile, while boasting excellent thrust-to-weight ratios.

The Russian Air Force began operating the Su-35 jets in 2014 and first deployed them in combat in Syria in 2015, according to Newsweek. The fighter was designed specifically to combat Western counterparts, such as the F-16, and has been used extensively during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.