Russia has shot down one of its own near-flagship Su-35 fighter jets in an accidental friendly-fire incident, UK intelligence is reportedly suggesting. According to Business Insider, the incident took place on September 28 near Tokmak – a city in Ukraine near the front lines of fighting.
The British Ministry of Defense said on October 4 that it was “highly likely” that the Russian air defense shot down the jet. Apparently, Russian channels had been posting about the big oopsie for a little while now, and videos and photos have reportedly started to show up online on the hit and aftermath.
Ukrainian journalist Andrii Tsaplienko posted a black-and-white picture on Telegram at the end of September showing what looks like a very much destroyed Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet lying in a field.
Another account, OSINTtechincal also reportedly posted a similar picture of the Su-35 on Twitter (sorry, X). It also seems to have posted a stream of smoke in the air, which may have occurred after the jet was hit.
The UK update reportedly says that Tokmak is just 12 miles from the front line, and the Russian base there would be well fortified with heavy air defense.
“These headquarters would typically be protected with dedicated short and medium-range air defense systems,” the brief reportedly said. “These are almost certainly held at very high readiness, as Ukraine continues to conduct effective deep strikes against such locations.
So far, the Russian Defense Ministry has not confirmed the reports. Its military has reportedly lost about 90 planes since the war first started as it continues to struggle to establish control of Ukrainian airspace.
