Another Mi-8 and a Su-35 also crashed, according to Russian military correspondents and an official of a Russian proxy state that claims territory in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia claimed that Ukraine used U.K.-supplied cruise missiles in strikes on Luhansk, an area controlled by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine. TASS cited emergency services blaming engine fire, but some Russian military correspondents suggested the aircraft could have been ambushed by Ukrainian special forces using shoulder-mounted missiles. Kyiv is looking to dislodge Russian forces from territory they have occupied in the south and east of Ukraine. Ukrainian arms production has been hit hard by Russian attacks, prompting Ukrainian weapons makers, including Ukroboronprom, to shift manufacturing out of the country.

Source: Wall Street Journal May 13, 2023 18:30 UTC