Russian officers says the aircraft crashed over the southern Stavropol area as a consequence of a technical malfunction.
Ukraine’s air pressure says it shot down a Russian strategic bomber with antiaircraft missiles for the primary time for the reason that warfare started in 2022.
The warplane was downed in Russian airspace, 300km (186 miles) from Ukraine’s border, on Friday after it took half in a long-range air strike that killed no less than 9 folks within the central area of Dnipropetrovsk.
The Ministry of Defence mentioned the aircraft was returning to its base in Russia after having fired missiles at Ukraine in a single day.
“For the primary time, antiaircraft missile models of the air pressure, in cooperation with the defence intelligence of Ukraine, destroyed a Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bomber,” Ukraine’s navy mentioned in a press release on Friday.
Russia generally makes use of the bomber to fireplace cruise missiles at Ukrainian targets from inside its personal airspace.
Russian officers denied Ukraine’s assault and mentioned the aircraft crashed over the southern Stavropol area as a consequence of a technical malfunction.
“A Russian armed forces Tu-22M3 plane crashed within the Stavropol area whereas returning to its base aerodrome after performing a fight mission. The pilots ejected,” the state-run TASS information company quoted Russia’s Defence Ministry as saying.
“In response to preliminary information, the reason for the accident was a technical malfunction,” it added.
Stavropol Governor Vladimir Vladimirov mentioned on Telegram that one of many 4 crew members died within the incident, and two have been taken to hospital. He added that the seek for the fourth member was persevering with.
Reporting from Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford mentioned Ukraine hit these bombers in August final 12 months, however they have been on the bottom.
“It’s not possible to independently confirm this, but it surely is a sign seemingly that Ukrainians, regardless of their demand for higher air defences, nonetheless have the potential to have the ability to take down jets, bombers and missiles seemingly at fairly an extended distance,” he mentioned.
Russian strikes killed no less than 9 folks within the jap metropolis of Dnipro and surrounding area and injured no less than 28 others.
The strikes broken residential buildings and the primary prepare station.
“A baby who was closely wounded throughout an enormous enemy assault on the Dnipropetrovsk area as we speak died in hospital. The loss of life toll had now risen to 9, together with three kids,” the Workplace of Ukraine’s Prosecutor Basic mentioned in a press release on Telegram on Friday.
Inside Minister Ihor Klymenko mentioned in a separate Telegram submit that the variety of victims is anticipated to rise as rubble from the broken buildings is being cleared.
The area’s governor, Serhiy Lysak, informed Ukrainian TV that air defences shot down 11 of 16 missiles and 9 of 10 drones that attacked the world.
Following the strike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeated his pressing requires the nation’s Western allies to produce them with air defence methods.
“Each nation that gives air defence methods to Ukraine, each chief who helps persuade our companions that air defence methods shouldn’t be saved in warehouses however deployed in actual cities and communities going through terror, and everybody who helps our defence is a life saver,” Zelenskyy mentioned on social media.
Rescue operations are underway in Dnipro following a Russian strike. A number of flooring of a typical residential constructing have been destroyed, and the railway station sustained injury.
Kryvyi Rih and Synelnykove within the Dnipropetrovsk area have been additionally focused. All injured individuals are… pic.twitter.com/t0zX4TwJhY
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 19, 2024
On Thursday, NATO Secretary-Basic Jens Stoltenberg informed reporters that the alliance was additionally looking for to ship extra air defence methods to Ukraine as quickly as doable.
“We’re working at the potential for [dispatching] extra Patriot batteries to Ukraine. We’re in dialogue with some particular international locations,” he mentioned.
The US, one in all Ukraine’s greatest suppliers of navy help, is anticipated to vote on a long-stalled $61bn package deal this weekend.
