A MANPADS (Man-Portable Air-Defense System) operated by the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade was used to intercept the Russian aircraft as it prepared to attack Ukrainian troops. The brigade has released a video showcasing the moment the plane was shot down.
While the fate of the Russian crew remains uncertain, Ukrainian forces have confirmed that one fewer threat has been eliminated from the battlefield.
The Su-25, a Soviet-designed ground-attack aircraft, has been widely used by both sides in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This marks the second instance of a Russian Su-25 being downed near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast since the start of the full-scale war.
As of August 28, Ukrainian forces have destroyed a total of 368 Russian fixed-wing military aircraft, according to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces. (ILKHA)