Western military experts are skeptical about a Ukrainian brigade’s claim that they shot down 7 Russian Su-25 attacks in 1 month.
The Ukrainian army’s 110th mechanized brigade announced it had shot down seven Russian Air Force Su-25 ground attack aircraft in less than a month.
According to Ukraine, the incidents occurred on May 4, May 11 May 13, May 18, May 22, May 23, and May 25. If true, it is considered to cause great damage to the Russian air force.
However, according to Forbes, the statement from Ukraine does not seem to have convincing evidence. The American magazine said that the 110th Brigade is likely to have only shot down at most two Russian attacks in the past month.
Forbes said there is currently only evidence of two shootings. The first evidence was a blurry photo of a burning object on the ground on May 13. The second piece of evidence is a video on May 26 of a burning object from afar.
On the other hand, Brigade 110 posted several videos announcing the shooting down of a Russian Su-25, but observers discovered that it was cut from a video game.
According to Forbes, if Brigade 110 “exaggerates” their achievements on the battlefield, it could be a psychological warfare tactic, putting pressure on the enemy and raising the fighting spirit of the Ukrainian side.
The 110th Brigade once failed before the Russian advance in Avdiivka, Donetsk. For months, they had to hide under rubble under constant fire from Russia.
Seriously lacking ammunition, they had no choice but to withdraw their troops to the rear, moving to protect the new front line west of Avdiivka.
In recent times, taking advantage of opponents who have no firepower to defend, Russia has continuously deployed Su-25 attacks to attack Ukraine’s defense lines. For example, since mid-April, Russia has constantly sent Su-25, a low-level attack, flying over the front line around Chasov Yar, determined to capture the strategic town.
In a situation where Russia is overwhelming on the front lines while Ukraine is still waiting for ammunition and anti-aircraft missiles from the West to be delivered, information about Su-25s being repeatedly shot down could be the motivation for Kyiv to continue. fight, although there is still insufficient evidence to support these claims.
The Su-25 is a ground attack aircraft, designed to support ground forces both day and night. Currently, the Russian military staffs Su-25 versions include Su-25SM, Su-25SM3, and Su-25UB.
As an attack force tasked with attacking Ukrainian targets on the ground, Russia’s Su-25 aircraft must face many challenges, especially from man-portable air defense missile systems (MANPADS) that the West uses. The West has provided aid to Ukraine. The Su-25 is designed for direct attack and close combat support, with a maximum speed of about 956km/h and a flight ceiling of 6,700m.
In addition to a 30mm twin-barrel cannon with 250 shells, the Su-25 can carry more than 4 tons of ammunition, including missiles, rockets, guided and unguided bombs, and even additional artillery. The Su-25 is equipped with steel and titanium panels ranging from 6mm to 25mm thick around the cockpit, parts of the fuselage and wings, as well as the fuel tanks.
