Ukraine claims it has managed to take down three Russian Sukhoi oats of the Su-34, causing them to suffer a major damage on the battlefield.
The news was confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who said it had happened in the Kherson region, where fighting continues with great intensity.
"At noon today, three Russian Su-34 fighter jets were shot down in the southern operational zone," Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram.
In his speech friday night, Zelenskyy said the planes had been shot down by the missile and said he was "grateful to the soldiers who destroyed three Russian Sukhoi aircraft at the same time in the Kherson region."
Since the start of the war, Russia has confirmed it has lost 10 Su-34 jets in combat, but the numbers appear to be much higher.
The Su-34 is the two-seat supersonic fighter-bomber, Russia's most advanced medium-range aircraft, a type of aircraft not commonly found in Western arsenals, with the American-made F-111 and F-15E Strike Eagle being the most similar multi-function counterparts.
In service since 2014, Moscow deployed the aircraft on missions in Syria and Ukraine. Despite the Kremlin proclaiming it as the crown jewel of its military aviation, Su-34s have been used in low-altitude bombing attacks due to a lack of commanded missiles, exposing them to heavy air defences.
A Su-34 jet costs about $36 million.