Russian bomber is said to have been shot down by Ukraine – NATO promises more air defense – NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

On Friday morning, a Russian bomber crashed in the Stravropol region of Russia, approximately 300 kilometers from Ukrainian territory.

The Ukrainian Air Force claims that it was they who shot down the plane – a long-range strategic bomber of the Tu-22M3 type. This has not been independently confirmed.

The Russian Defense Ministry, for its part, claims that the plane crashed as a result of a technical error.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, this is the first time they have managed to shoot down an aircraft of this type.

In that case, it could be a major victory for the Ukrainian counter-offensive if it is true. The Ukrainian forces are struggling on the ground, and Russia is particularly strong in the air.

In the past, Ukraine has only managed to damage or destroy these types of aircraft while they have been on the ground.

– No critical loss

Associate professor Lars Peder Haga at the Norwegian Air Force School says that Russia has a relatively large number of aircraft of this type.

– It is probably not a critical loss for Russia. But the fact that Ukraine was able to shoot down that plane at that distance, if true, will probably force Russia to change its operational pattern, he says.

Then Russia may have to keep a longer distance and probably become less effective than they have been, Haga believes.

Begging the world for more support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently begged the world for support for more air defense several times.

In recent weeks, Russia has carried out a series of attacks against important infrastructure in Ukraine.

Zelenskyj asks Ukraine’s supporters to speed up new support measures.

– The level of foreign support measures is currently very limited, says Zelenskyj.

Nato promises more air defense systems

On Friday afternoon, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg announced that they have decided to provide Ukraine with more air defense systems. The news came after an emergency meeting of NATO’s Ukraine Council, which Zelenskyy requested.

Stoltenberg says that the NATO defense ministers agree to step up and provide more military support, including air defence.

– Help is on the way. And I expect announcements about more help and support in the near future, he says.

Stoltenberg says that the NATO defense ministers agree to step up and provide more military support, including air defence.

– Completely helpless if they don’t get it

It is critically important for Ukraine to have sufficient air defense, Haga believes.

– Not only for the missile and drone attacks, but also to prevent Russian warplanes from flying into Ukrainian territory, he says.

– They have been exposed to several waves of large attacks where they have had to use many missiles to shoot down cruise missiles and drones. Then they need a refill, and are really completely helpless if they don’t get it. Especially against missile attacks, says Haga.

Russia will probably continue with missile attacks in the future, Haga believes.

– Ukraine will be completely dependent on being replenished with its own missiles and occasionally new air defense systems. If they are to manage to break that cycle, they must also find ways to attack the Russian launch sites and bombers, he says.

– Ukraine cannot wait

Zelenskyj is clear in his speech to NATO.

– Ukraine cannot wait while our allies consider giving more support. NATO must decide whether we are actually allies, he says according to AFP.

According to the president, Ukraine needs at least Patriot air defense systems or other high-quality advanced models. And it is urgent to get them in place, emphasizes Zelenskyj.

– It is now obvious that as long as Russia has the advantage in the air, and can rely on its missile and drone terror, our options on the ground are limited, he says.

– Necessary

Haga believes that NATO provides more air defense systems to the Ukrainians is very important.

– It is necessary to keep the Russian campaign away, says Haga.

He believes that it will be particularly useful if they get more advanced air defense systems in place.

– Some of the missiles that Russia fires at Ukraine, such as ballistic missiles, only a few air defense systems are able to withstand, such as the Patriot system. Ukraine has had to prioritize and only set up a few places, says Haga.

This means that Ukrainians are particularly vulnerable in areas where such systems are not available.

At least eight killed

The head of the Ukrainian air force, Mykola Oleshchuk, writes on Telegram that the air attack on Friday was revenge for several of the Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities recently.

Last night until Friday, at least eight people were killed in a Russian attack against the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Two of them must have been children. 28 people were also injured.

According to Ukraine, the bomber was shot down with an old Soviet S-200 anti-aircraft missile.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has claimed that there were four people on board the plane. These must have managed to eject themselves from the plane before it crashed into the ground.

One of them is said to be dead, according to Russia. Two other people are said to have been found and taken to hospital. The search is still on for the fourth.

Unusual cooperation could secure new US support

The US has been one of the most important supporters of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. But new support packages have been delayed since last autumn.

Proposals for new arms aid to Ukraine have been stuck in Congress for several months. This is mainly because many Republicans do not want to give more support to the war.

But the tide may be turning, thanks to an unusual collaboration between Democrats and Republicans.

The House of Representatives decided on Friday to forward a large support package for Ukraine and Israel to a final vote. It will probably be held on Saturday.

The package was penned by Republicans, but went ahead because it also received support from some Democrats. Unlike in the past, ex-president Donald Trump has also made no attempt to block the package.

The support package is worth 95 billion dollars in total, of which 61 billion dollars is devoted to Ukraine. This corresponds to approximately NOK 670 billion.