The border guards, who are part of the Ukrainian defense forces in the Avdiivka sector and are repelling the attacks of Russian occupying forces there, have reported that they destroyed a Russian aircraft.
A spokesperson for the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service reported that a border guard unit, using a portable air defense system, shot down an enemy combat aircraft near Avdiivka. Preliminary information suggests that it was an SU-25 combat aircraft, as reported by the German news website n-tv.de.
The SU-25 is also known in NATO as “Froschfuß” or “Frogfoot”. During the Cold War, it was developed as a specialized ground attack aircraft. Alternatively, it is also referred to as a frontline bomber or close air support aircraft. These aircraft are designed to directly attack enemy ground troops within sight. Therefore, the jet is equipped with robust armor and is designed to withstand heavy damage. The Sukhoi Su-25 is used by both sides in the Ukraine conflict, as reported by the German news platform Stern.
Image: Kremlin.ru, Vladimir Putin (2022-08-09) 2 (cropped), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, (no changes made)