The Ukrainian air defense successfully shot down a Russian tactical bomber, a Su-24M, in the immediate vicinity of Snake Island, as reported by the German news website n-tv.de.
This information was announced by the Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, on Telegram, as reported by the state news agency Ukrinform. “With pleasure, I inform you that the Russian Su-24M bomber, disguised as a Su-30SM fighter, which intended to launch a missile and air strike on the south of the Odessa region, was destroyed near Snake Island,” according to Oleshchuk.
These statements have not yet been independently verified and/or confirmed. Therefore, they should be considered with caution. In war, it can be advantageous for conflicting parties to deliberately spread misinformation to strengthen their own position or weaken that of the opponent.
Image: kremlin.ru, 2018 inauguration of Vladimir Putin 53, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Image size changed)