Two Su-34s Shot Down in One Day — What It Really Means

February 27, 2024June 8, 2026

This morning, Ukrainian command reported another enemy aircraft down — a Su-34 frontline bomber, same as the last one, and the one before that. February 2024 is not over yet, but with two Su-34s shot down today alone, this particular machine has firmly claimed first place as the most frequently destroyed aircraft in the world this year.

At this point, our air defense units seem to have developed a genuine fondness for this particular machine. The Su-34 was built specifically to carry KABs¹ — and once the occupiers stopped keeping their planes safely behind the lines and pushed them forward, betting they could operate beyond our engagement range, that bet did not pay off.

Then, a few hours later, another one went down. Exactly the same type. Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, confirmed the second Su-34 shot down:

In the photo — that is not an exclamation mark and not a question mark. That is a burning Russian Sukhoi. So nobody doubts it.

The Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published a report showing the same aircraft and the same date. The only difference is the time when the second aircraft was shot down.

So for February 2024, this is already the 10th confirmed aircraft destroyed. Here is the full list:

• February 17 — two Su-34s and one Su-35;
• February 18 — one Su-34;
• February 19 — one Su-34 and one Su-35;
• February 21 — one Su-34;
• February 23 — one A-50 reconnaissance aircraft;
• February 27 — two Su-34s;

Two in a Day — But Not the Same Situation

We have seen two Su-34s shot down on a single day — back when a third aircraft, an Su-35 escort fighter, went down alongside them at the same time and location. That looked like our air defense catching an entire enemy aviation group: two bombers plus one cover fighter, most likely taken out by a single complex — what we informally call the “wandering Patriot”. But today was different.

The enemy operate near the front line in exactly these kinds of aviation groups — Su-34 bombers with Su-35 fighter escort. The fact that today’s two kills came hours apart strongly suggests these were two separate groups, and our air defense units managed to pull one aircraft out of each. That either means the Patriot is wandering very aggressively and with exceptional luck — or something else is wandering out there, possibly in more than one copy. How our anti-aircraft teams are pulling this off is their secret to keep. What matters is that two Su-34s shot down belonged to two different enemy aviation groups. That is genuinely unprecedented in a single day.

What It Looks Like From Their Side

Now consider what is happening on the Enemy side of this. The first Su-34 goes down, and the logical response from enemy air command would be to pull their pilots further back — beyond whatever engagement range just proved fatal. Instead, another aviation group flies into the same situation and loses another bomber.

Nothing familiar about that? It is starting to look like the Enemy are applying their “meat assault” doctrine not just to infantry, but to their own pilots as well.

It is hard to imagine what effect this is having on Russian pilots currently assigned to bomb Ukraine in these aircraft. Their comfortable nights are likely over. One can only guess how many now wake up in the dark for reasons other than sweat. There is something else worth noting. Experienced pilots once competed for spots in these crews, but reports now suggest that young lieutenants fresh out of flight school are being fed into the rotation.

Why That Actually Matters

For us, it makes no practical difference who drops the bomb — a lieutenant, a major, or a colonel. Every single one of them is a war criminal executing strikes against civilian cities. For the enemy, however, it matters enormously. A combat pilot needs years of accumulated experience before being sent into a genuinely dangerous mission, and that experience is the only thing that keeps him from becoming just another charred body trapped inside a burning wreckage.

When we neutralize a major who has gone through years of training, advanced courses, and combat exercises — that is a serious blow to their capability.

When we neutralize a lieutenant who graduated last year — that is also a serious blow to their capability. Because those young pilots were supposed to form the backbone of Russian combat aviation tomorrow and the day after.

¹KAB (Kerovana Aviatsiyna Bomba) – Guided Aerial Bomb. A cheap but powerful munition the Russians use to strike civilian cities.