Russian troops ‘shot down several of their own planes shortly after launching invasion’

Almost a year after the start of the conflict, Ukrainian intelligence officers have claimed that Russia accidentally shot down their own fighter jets and helicopters by own fire.

“It may not have been double digits, but it’s more than one or two,” a former senior US official told the newspaper. Financial times.

“There was a lot of fratricide.”

“They may not have had combat-experienced pilots willing to fly over Ukraine and risk their necks in that crazy environment.”

Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukrainian military intelligence, added: “It happened. From artillery units, from tanks, and we saw it even through our interceptions of their conversations. They shot down their own helicopters and they shot down their own helicopters airplanes.”

This month, Russia launched infantry attacks across frozen ground in battles described by both sides as “the bloodiest of the war”.

Ukraine said its troops repelled Russian attacks along the length of the frontline on Thursday on the eve of the anniversary of the war, as President Vladimir Putin empty-handed after a bloody winter offensive brought up Russia’s nuclear arsenal.

After a series of fierce speeches leading up to the anniversary of his invasion, Putin on Thursday announced plans to deploy new Sarmat multi-warhead intercontinental ballistic missiles this year. Earlier this week, he suspended Russia’s participation in the START nuclear arms control treaty.

It came as a Ukrainian mother found shelter in London has told how her life changed forever when she and her young daughter fled Vladimir Putin’s invasion a year ago.

“I go down the street with my daughter, see a lot of people running, cars and horror, people who are scared and try to run away,” Viktoriia Shchielko told Standard.

The former presenter and model added: “I remember that feeling of not understanding what had happened. I thought that after World War I and World War II, people would not come back to this.”