Moscow (The Times Groupe)- Russia said on Monday that it shot down three Ukrainian fighter jets near Snake Island in the Black Sea on Sunday night.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry reports that Ukraine’s air defense systems downed two Su-25 and one Su-24 fighter jets.
Igor Konashenkov, spokesperson for the ministry, said that 10 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed and 18 shells fired from the Smerch multiple rocket launcher were intercepted.
The Russian air force used high-precision air-based missiles to strike two Ukrainian command posts, eight firing points, five ammunition depots, and 16 areas where manpower and military equipment were concentrated, he explained.
“Since the start of the special military operation, 168 aircraft, 125 helicopters, 889 unmanned aerial vehicles, 307 air defense systems, 3,108 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 381 multiple rocket launchers, 1,529 field artillery and mortars, and 2,949 special military vehicles have been destroyed,” Konashenkov said.
UN estimates indicate that 3,573 people have been killed and 3,816 injured since the war began on Feb. 24. The true death toll is likely much higher.
According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), over 6.1 million people have fled to other countries and 7.7 million have been internally displaced.