Ukraine 'shoots down two more £40million Russian jets, bringing total number of Putin's warplanes destroyed in two weeks to 12 - worth nearly £700m'

Ukraine is reported to have downed two more £40million Russian Su-34 jets, bringing the total number of Putin's warplanes destroyed in two weeks to 12.

The jets were brought down in Avdiivka and Mariupol today at around 9am, according to Lt-Gen Mykola Oleschuk, commander of the Ukrainian air force.

There was no immediate confirmation of the claim.

Putin's air force has been blitzed by Ukraine over the past fortnight - with warplanes worth almost £700m reportedly wiped out in an embarrassing setback for the invaders.

Announcing that two of Russia's Su-34 fighter-bombers had been blasted out of the sky on Tuesday, Ukraine's defence ministry boasted that it had eliminated ten enemy planes in as many days - a rate of loss that Russia's air force cannot sustain.

The jets were destroyed in Avdiivka and Mariupol today at around 9am, according to Lt-Gen Mykola Oleschuk, commander of the Ukrainian air force 

The loss of the bombers will have set Putin's army back millions, with each worth £39m ($50m). 

Other planes Kyiv claims to have taken out this month include two SU-35 jets, costing £34m ($43m) each, and an A-50U AWACS reconnaissance plane - which intel suggests cost Russia £260m ($330m).

The strikes will be a welcome success for Kyiv, but come at a difficult time, with Russia advancing and recently claiming its first major victory since May in Avdiivka after months of bitter fighting.

Ukraine's weapons supplies have also been choked, with shortages of munitions including its crucial 90-mile-range, US-made Patriot air-defence missiles - making it even more important that the Ukrainian forces hit their targets.

Dramatic images have emerged over recent days showing what Ukraine says are Russian fighter jets and a reconnaissance plane plummeting out of the sky over the east of the country.

Posting on Telegram, Ukraine's Air Force Commander used the success as a warning to Russian troops.

He said: 'I advise the occupiers to see their relatives before each flight, just in case. Because who knows, he will be lucky or not this time.'

Oleschuk added that Russia would be wise to reconsider its 'airborne meat assaults' given the level of destruction to its air force in such a short time span.

'Russian planes continue to fall!' the Ukrainian defence ministry said.

Mykola Oleshchuk said that two Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter in the skies over eastern Ukraine  (File Photo)

The dramatic moment was caught on video and follows a Kyiv claim on Tuesday that two Vladimir Putin Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter, totalling more than $100million, had been shot down

Two Russian planes were shot down on Monday. A grainy image shared by Ukraine's Air Force Chief purporting to show the moment the wreckage of one fell from the sky

Ten days earlier, Ukraine shot down two Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter in the skies over eastern Ukraine, according to the air force chief.

Russian Fighterbomber Telegram channel initially claimed there were 'no losses' and that the Ukrainians were 'lying'.

Other Russian channels 'confirmed that the Ukrainian military shot down at least one Russian Su-35 aircraft'.

'On the morning of February 17, 2024, in the eastern (sector), units of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed three enemy aircraft at once - two Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter,' Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on Telegram.

'This is our land, and our sky!' he declared victoriously, adding: 'There will be more…don't hang around!'

He was true to his word, with successive strikes reportedly seeing another Su-25 and five more Su-34s obliterated.

On February 23, Ukraine dealt yet another huge blow to Moscow's forces, downing a £270m ($330m) Russian spy plane over Krasnodar.

Video showed huge plumes of smoke billowing from the wreckage after the A-50U reconnaissance plane's wing was reportedly torn off by a hit from a revamped S-200 Soviet-era long-range air defence missile - a staggering blow to Russia's already diminishing collection.

Ten crew were reported to have been found dead at the crash site, though the planes typically carry 15.

It came down in Russia's Krasnodar region, where Putin's official Black Sea residence and private £1 billion palace are located.

Russia now only has six of its state-of-the-art spy planes remaining after another of the pricey aircraft was blasted out of the sky last month, according to Ukraine.

Russian sources initially blamed friendly fire but Ukrainian sources said the A-50U was downed 'as part of a joint operation of [Kyiv's] Main Intelligence Directorate and the Ukrainian Air Force'.

On February 23, Ukraine dealt yet another huge blow to Moscow's forces, downing a $330m Russian A-50 spy plane (File Photo)

Video showed smoke billowing from the crash site of a spy plane in Krasnodar, western Russia

The loss of the A-50U - the second in six weeks - will be a severe blow to Putin's aerial reconnaissance, harming Russia's ability to pinpoint targets for missile strikes and monitor Ukrainian battlefield deployments. The plane came down near Primorsko-Akhtarsk.

Ukraine's GUR military intelligence directorate said: 'The last flight of the A-50U took place on February 23, 2024 at 15:50 from the Akhtubinsk airfield and was supposed to carry out terrorist tasks of the aggressor state of Russia near the settlements of Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Zernograd.

'An abrupt stop of the Bumblebee radar complex's work…was recorded by GUR's radio technical intelligence stations at 18:45.

'The fire damage of the modernised A-50U of the Russian Air Force was confirmed by the radio interception of the conversation of the Su-35 cover crew.

'One of the Russian pilots reports on the radio that he observed the work of air defense, flash and explosions.'

'Congratulations to the occupiers on the Defender of the Fatherland day,' said a sardonic Ukrainian air force commander General Mykola Oleshchuk.

Since receiving advanced Western air defence systems, Kyiv has been able to deploy these weapons to pose an increasing threat to Russian aviation.

The war is now grinding on into its third year, with Kyiv continuing to lobby for support as Moscow holds its line and achieved recent gains in the east of the country. 

The reported Su-34 downings came just hours after Putin suffered another major blow, with 19 troops killed and 12 wounded during a 'medal ceremony' in a Ukrainian HIMARS missile strike yesterday. 

The hit on a gathering of the 155th Separate Guards Brigade of Naval Infantry in occupied Donetsk region killed Lt-Col Roman Kozhukhov, according to reports.

Another high-ranking officer, Colonel Mikhail Gudkov, commander of the 155th Separate Guards Brigade of Naval Infantry, was wounded, as was Major Alexander Abilov.

There have been at least five major strikes on gatherings of Russian troops - for inspections or award ceremonies - in the past five weeks.

Russia has been hit by repeated attacks on gatherings of troops this year, causing grave damage to Putin's war effort.

Despite his boasts of territorial grains around Avdiivka, he has suffered manpower losses, as well as a significant weakening of his air force and Black Sea Fleet.

Pro-war blogger Oleg Tsarev said: 'They talk about another awards ceremony before the formation, and about another strike with HIMARS missiles on our servicemen and the subsequent losses.

'They are unteachable.'

Telegram channel Dosye Shpiona said: 'The command was conducting a formation in honour of awarding individual servicemen of the brigade who distinguished themselves in combat.

'The strike was carried out by two HIMARS missiles.'

On January 25, 24 people were killed at Vostochny military range, Donetsk region. On February 4, 28 Russian servicemen died in a suspected HIMARS missile strike on the Adriatic restaurant 'where the Russian military were dining'.

On February 21, some 65 were killed at a training ground in Trudivske, occupied Donetsk region.

The following day dozens more died in a missile strike in Kherson region.

Putin warned Western countries today that there was a genuine risk of nuclear war if they sent their own troops to fight in Ukraine, and he said Moscow had the weapons to strike targets in the West.

Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address at the Gostiny Dvor conference centre in central Moscow, on Thursday

Addressing parliament and other members of the country's elite, Putin, 71, repeated his accusation that the West is bent on weakening Russia, and he suggested Western leaders did not understand how dangerous their meddling could be in what he cast as Russia's own internal affairs.

He prefaced his warning with a specific reference to an idea, floated by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, of European NATO members sending ground troops to Ukraine - a suggestion that other European leaders were quick to state their differing views on. 

'(Western nations) must realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Don't they get that?!' said the Russian president.

Putin, who was speaking ahead of a March 15 to 17 election when he is certain to be re-elected for another six-year term, lauded what he said was Russia's vastly modernised nuclear arsenal, the largest in the world.