On December 10, the Russian Defense Ministry released a video showing Su-25 attack aircraft giving off missiles at Ukrainian targets.
“Flying over the crowns of trees: the crew of the Su-25 inflicted missile air strikes on the armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the ministry said in a telegram post.
The ministry also stated that it is not an easy feat to maintain a low height at great speed, but the Russian pilots did it seamlessly.
After the strikes, the crews released heat traps and returned to the takeoff airfield, according to the explanation from the Ministry of Defense.
In another video of the Russian Su-25, the aircraft had a failed landing that required the pilot to land safely by skidding the attack jet’s belly over the runway.
The most recent intelligence report from the UK Ministry of Defense said Iran would increase its support for Russia in exchange for ‘unprecedented’ military access.
Russia is attempting to buy hundreds of ballistic missiles from the Iranian government. It is speculated that Russia had used up a major amount of its supply of Iskander short-range ballistic missiles.
The Su-25s’ proximity to the ground has led to several of them being shot down by air defense systems. Ukraine has shot down a plethora of Soviet-era aircraft.
According to Oryx’s military tracking website, Russia has lost 23 Su-25s since the invasion started. On the other hand, 15 Ukrainian Su-25s have been brought down by Russia.
The Su-25 has a maximum speed of 950 km/h, a fighting radius of 375 km, and a range of 750 km. The aircraft can climb at 58 meters per second and has a service ceiling of 7000 meters. The Su-25 can carry cluster bombs, incendiary weapons weighing 500 kg, and laser-guided bombs weighing 350 kg to 670 kg.