Ukraine claimed to have shot down six Russian fighter jets in only three days after destroying two more on Monday.
The head of Ukraine's armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, declared in a statement that the country's air force shot down two Russian planes on Monday: A fighter jet Su-35S and a fighter-bomber Su-34, according to Business Insider.
He claimed that on Monday morning, the planes that had been using guided air bombs to target Ukrainian troop positions were destroyed.
Forbes claims that the Su-34, which costs $50 million each, is Russia's greatest fighter bomber.
In contrast, the Su-35 can carry more than 17,000 pounds of bombs.
Russia's air force is superior to Ukraine's since it has considerably fewer aircraft and older versions. However, thanks in large part to its air defence systems, Ukraine has been able to keep Russia's jets inside its territory and prevent them from flying over the country, limiting their involvement in the conflict.
The Royal United Services Institute in the UK's Professor Justin Bronk, an authority on Russia and air power, told BI that Russia's air force is now "largely irrelevant to the conflict."
He described this as a "very impressive" achievement by Ukraine.
Previously, Ukraine shot down many Russian jets: In December, Ukraine claimed to have shot down three Russian Su-34s in the course of two days.
In January, Ukraine claimed to have shot down a Russian A-50 radar early-warning plane, an expensive and uncommon aircraft that aids in coordinating its military operations.
Director of the US-based Defence Priorities think group and expert on Russia and Ukraine Rajan Manon previously told BI that the losses were "embarrassing" for Russia considering its superior air force.
A few Ukrainian aircraft have also been shot down by Russia as part of its full-scale invasion, which officially began in February 2022.
Ukraine has pleaded with its friends time and time again to provide it with fighter jets so it can fire down Russian planes and missiles.
August 2023 saw the US announce that F-16s made in the US might be shipped to Ukraine.
Though it's uncertain when they will be able to employ the fighter jets in combat, Ukrainian pilots are now undergoing training.