On the night of August 20, a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber was damaged on Russian territory.
This was reported by analysts of the OSINT project Exilenova+, publishing a satellite image.
According to the analysts, the frame shows the aftermath of the strike on the aircraft. The extent of the damage and whether it can be repaired remains unknown.
Exilenova+ does not provide other details about the circumstances of the aircraft's destruction. In particular, from the published information it cannot be concluded whether the Su-34 was completely taken out of service or whether the damage can be repaired.
The Su-34 is one of the main Russian aircraft used for strikes on Ukrainian territory. These planes are used as carriers of aerial bombs, including those equipped with universal gliding and correction modules.
Russian Su-34s have repeatedly become targets of Ukrainian strikes on military airfields. Assessing such attacks, the final result is often established later—after high-resolution satellite images or official data from the Ukrainian military appear.
If serious damage is confirmed, this new episode means Russia has lost at least one more available tactical strike aircraft. However, the published satellite image does not yet allow determining how long the aircraft will be out of service.
