S-300 Russian shot down one of their Su-35 aircraft

A Russian air defense system near the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine has reportedly shot down one of Russia's own Su-35 fighter jets. The Su-35 was shot down in the Ukrainian city of Tokmak, according to open source intelligence accounts on social media on Friday. The Fighterbomber Telegram channel, which is linked to the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), posted a short and serious message. “Eternal flight, brother..,” he wrote. The Russian Defense Ministry did not comment on it. “Video of the crash of a Russian Su-35 tonight,” uploaded the Russian WarGonzo Telegram channel. It added that Russian air defenses had fired on its own troops. "Tokmak is nervous, it's too early to shoot down the enemy tactical plane. We await details tomorrow morning.” Meanwhile, War Monitor said that Russian Su-35s had been reduced in number due to being hit in Tokmak. Western analysts say the Russian Aerospace Forces have a very high loss rate. This was due to fundamental factors such as limited training time, few experienced pilots, and the constant stress of combat. The Oryx portal wrote that Russia has lost four Su-35 jets since its troops crossed into Ukrainian territory on February 24, 2022. Tokmak is the main target of Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive through Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The city is about 32 kilometers from Ukrainian lines and within range of air defense systems such as Ukraine's SA-11 Buk. The Su-35 is a Russian air superiority fighter with secondary air-to-ground capabilities. The multi-role fighter jet is used by Russia against Ukrainian troops and civilian infrastructure. Recently Su-35s have been reported to have dropped glide bombs to target Ukrainian settlements near the front lines.