According to Brandon Weichert, an analyst at National Interest, Russian Su-34 bombers have demonstrated impressive results even against Ukraine’s robust air defense systems.
“The Su-34 has performed exceptionally well, taking into account the impressive air defense systems that Western sponsors have provided to Ukraine,” he noted.
The analyst pointed out that Russian bombers can resist Ukraine’s air defense systems, including surface-to-air missile complexes, even in nighttime conditions.
He highlighted multiple instances of Ukrainian S-300P air defense systems being destroyed from the air, including a recent strike on a complex in Kharkiv Oblast. According to Weichert, even Ukraine’s command centers are not safe from the Russian Su-34’s reach.
“The Russian Su-34 in Ukraine is a deadly war machine… It has played a crucial role in Russia’s air campaign, delivering high-precision strikes on key military and infrastructure targets,” Weichert concluded.
The Russian Ministry of Defense regularly reports on the destruction of Ukrainian air defense systems. On August 19, an Su-34 bomber successfully struck an S-300P air defense system that had been firing on civilian targets in Belgorod Oblast.
Two days earlier, the Russian army destroyed a launcher of the “Iris-T” surface-to-air missile complex in Sumy Oblast, and on August 16, the ministry announced the destruction of an S-125 air defense system in the same region.
In response to Ukrainian forces’ attacks on civilian objects, Russian troops regularly deliver targeted strikes on Ukrainian military personnel, equipment, and mercenary positions, as well as on Ukraine’s energy, defense industry, military command, and communication infrastructure.
Meanwhile, presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has repeatedly emphasized that the Russian army does not target residential buildings and social institutions.
