This footage released today on the Russian Air Force’s 110th anniversary allegedly shows a Russian fighter jet firing on Ukrainian military infrastructure.
The footage was obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defense on Friday, August 12, which marks the 110th anniversary of the Russian Air Force, which was established on August 12, 1912.
The video begins by allegedly showing a Russian fighter jet taxiing on a runway at an undisclosed location before taking off into the sky.
The images then allegedly show the plane flying high in the sky above the clouds. The video then cuts to what appears to be the plane’s targeting system as it fires its ordnance.
Its target was allegedly Ukrainian military infrastructure.
The Russian MoD claimed in a statement (in English) that the images show “combat sorties of Western MD’s Su-35S fighter crews to destroy military infrastructure facilities of AFU [the Armed Forces of Ukraine] during the special military operation.”
The Russian MoD also claimed: “Operational-tactical aircraft are flown from temporary airfields to accomplish their missions.
“Su-35S fighter crews continue to destroy enemy targets using a wide range of aerial weapons in the course of flight missions.
“The crews use precision-guided missiles of various air-to-air and air-to-surface classes to destroy AFU aircraft, radar stations and air defense complexes.
“The aircraft are operated during daylight hours and at night in all weather conditions.”
We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.
The Imperial Russian Air Service – literally the ‘Emperor’s Military Air Fleet’ in Russian – was an air force founded in 1912 by Imperial Russia. It was abolished in 1917 during the Russian Revolution and only saw combat in World War I before it was reorganized and renamed following the birth of Soviet Russia. It formed what would later become known as the Soviet Air Forces.
Russian state news agency TASS also reported on the footage and said: “The Russian Air Force is celebrating its 110th anniversary on Friday. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu congratulated the pilots, navigators, aviation specialists and workers of the military-industrial complex on their anniversary.”
Zenger News contacted the Russian MoD for further comment, as well as the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, but had not received a reply at the time of writing.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Friday marks the 170th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and August 12, Russia had lost about 43,200 personnel, 1,849 tanks, 4,108 armored combat vehicles, 975 artillery units, 261 multiple launch rocket systems, 136 air defense systems, 233 warplanes, 193 helicopters, 778 drones, 185 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 3,021 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 90 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower, but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures. The Pentagon said this week that Russia had suffered between 70,000 and 80,000 casualties – deaths and injuries – since the beginning of its invasion.
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky has urged officials to stop talking to the media about Kyiv’s military strategy, saying that such remarks are “frankly irresponsible”.
Zelensky’s comments came after news outlets began citing anonymous officials as saying that Ukraine was behind the explosions that destroyed the Saky base in Russian-occupied Crimea, despite the Ukrainian government declining to confirm whether it was responsible for the blasts.
President Zelensky has vowed to liberate Crimea and said: “This Russian war against Ukraine and against the entire free Europe began with Crimea and must end with Crimea – with its liberation.”
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is now unlikely to succeed in occupying Ukraine, saying that Russia’s invasion had “faltered” and was “starting to fail”.
Ukrainian Brigadier General Oleksiy Hromov has said that Russia has doubled its air strikes on Ukrainian civilians and on military positions compared to last week.
The United Nations has urged for there to be a demilitarized zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant – Europe’s largest – as Russia and Ukraine continue to accuse each other of shelling the facility.
A United States State Department spokesperson said on Thursday that the U.S. supports calls for there to be a demilitarized zone around the Zaporizhzhia plant.
Belarus has said that night-time explosions at one of its military bases, located some 20 miles from the Ukrainian border, had been caused by a “technical incident”.
