The reason for yesterday’s crashes of Russian Su fighter jets and Mi-8 helicopters in the Bryansk region was Russian air defence, Spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force Yurii Ihnat has explained during a TV marathon.

According to him, two aircraft and three helicopters were shot down in total.

Founder of PMC Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin previously hinted at the same version of events:

“Four aircraft, if we draw a circle around the crash sites, then we get a circle with a 40-km diameter. So the circle’s radius is 20 km. And now go online and look up which air defence system could have been located inside this circle, and then draw your own conclusions,” he said in response to media outlet Newsinfo asking him to comment on the crashes.

Yesterday, 13 May, several aircraft belonging to Russia’s Armed Forces crashed simultaneously in the Bryansk region. Russian newspaper Kommersant reported, citing sources, that the aircraft in question were two Mi-8 helicopters, a Su-34 fighter jet, and a Su-35 fighter jet.

“The fighter jets were supposed to carry out a bomb and missile attack on the Chernihiv region of Ukraine, and the helicopters were supposed to cover them, including on the chance that the Su jets are shot down and they have to pick up the crews,” the media outlet wrote.

As of now, the Bryan region authorities have only confirmed the crash of one helicopter. Russia’s Defence Ministry is yet to comment.