Russian forces have shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet in the special military operation zone, the Russian Defense Ministry stated on August 18.
According to the ministry, the aircraft was destroyed by the Russian Aerospace Forces.
The loss comes several days after details emerged of another air battle involving Russian military aviation. On August 12, Commander of the Russian Air Force and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Sergei Kobylash told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper that a Su-35S pilot had destroyed two Ukrainian Armed Forces aircraft in a single engagement.
Kobylash said the young pilot accomplished the feat while carrying out a combat patrol. Flying a Su-35S, he was providing cover for Russian units advancing at the time.
Ukraine also lost another combat aircraft in late July. An F-16 fighter crashed on one sector of the front while performing a mission to intercept aerial targets. Preliminary information indicated that an abnormal situation developed on board, after which the pilot ejected.
The Russian Defense Ministry says Russian forces have destroyed 674 enemy aircraft and 284 helicopters since the start of the special military operation.