Ukraine says it shot down the Russian military plane used in the attack Ukraine and Russia

Ukraine shot down a Russian military plane on Friday (19). According to Russian authorities, four pilots on board were able to exit the plane, but one of them ended up dead and the other was missing.

The downed aircraft is a Tu-22M3 strategic aircraft. The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the plane crashed in the Stavropol region in the south of the country.

Earlier, Russian authorities said that the plane crash appeared to have been caused by a technical problem. But hours later Ukraine said it shot down the plane.

“For the first time, anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force, in cooperation with Ukrainian defense intelligence, destroyed a Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bomber,” the Ukrainian Air Force said.

Ukrainian commander Mykola Oleshchuk also stated that Russia is using aircraft to attack cities in Ukraine.

The Tu-22M3 is a long-range supersonic missile-carrying bomber developed by Tupolev. The aircraft is designed to destroy sea and land targets using guided missiles and aerial bombs.

Before Ukraine announced that it had shot down the plane, the country's authorities said that a Russian missile attack had killed eight people and injured 25 others in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack damaged a residential building and a railway station in the regional capital, Dnipro.

“Russia must bear responsibility for its terrorism and every missile and every witness must be shot down,” Zelensky said. “The world can ensure this and our partners have the necessary capabilities.”

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