Russia-Ukraine Flash Report 18 JUL 2022 09:45 PDT - Su-34M RF-95890 Hit By Friendly Fire
Added 2022-07-18 16:52:52 +0000 UTCOvernight, Alchevsk, Luhansk, was attacked by Ukrainian High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) rockets. In an attempt to counteract the HIMARS strikes, the Russian air force is flying Combat Air Patrols (CAP), likely in an attempt to locate and destroy the HIMARS launcher and support vehicles.
An antiaircraft site operated by the Luhansk People's Republic targeted their own aircraft, shooting down a Su-34M, the most technologically advanced version of the Su-34 multirole fighter airplane.
The pilot was able to eject, with Ukraine claiming that Special Operation Forces captured the pilot behind the line of conflict. The airframe number was verified due to inadequate Operational Security, and social media posts on Telegram revealing the tail number RF-95890.
Pro-Russian social media erupted minutes after the plane crashed, claiming it was a Ukrainian Su-25. About 30 minutes later, admins started deleting the posts and tagging others, demanding they be removed because it was a friendly fire incident.
