One of two Patriot air defense systems that the Ukrainian military received from its Western allies has shot down at least one Russian fighter jet in recent weeks, multiple US sources told CNN.

Defense Department officials and members of Congress told CNN that Ukrainian forces used the Patriot system to shoot down at least one Russian long-range fighter jet.

Russian fighter jets are usually behind Moscow’s defense lines, meaning they are less likely to be hit by shorter-range Ukrainian systems such as NASAMS.

Sources of American television reported that the Russian planes hit by the Patriot system were carrying out the task of launching missiles at Ukrainian targets.

U.S. officials said Ukrainians are responsible for their own firing decisions, noting that they decide when and how to use Patriot air defense systems.

Black day of Russian aviation

In Russia’s daily losses, the Ukrainians have not shot down a single enemy plane for over a month. But on Saturday, the Moscow forces lost two fighter jets and two or three helicopters.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat reported that five aircraft “had problems” during the combat mission. It should be noted that they were in Russian airspace, in the Bryansk region, while Ukrainian airspace was not. recognized any attacks from Russian territory.

The only Russian newspaper to report the downing of four Russian aircraft was Kommersant, which said that Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft and two Mi-8 helicopters formed a raid group and were “almost simultaneously” shot down from an ambush in the Bryansk region , located in the north-east of Ukraine.

“According to preliminary reports… the fighter jets were to launch a missile-bomb attack on targets in the Chernihiv region of Ukraine, and the helicopters were there to support them – among other things, to pick up the Su crews if they were shot down. “, reports Kommersant.

It should be noted that part of the Russian-Ukrainian border passes between the Russian Bryansk and Ukrainian Chernihiv regions.

“The Russians won’t like it, they won’t like it at all”

Security analyst Jimmy Rushton believes there is a connection between what CNN news sources are saying and what happened over the weekend.

“Most likely, this reveals the secret of the Su-34, Su-35 and two Russian Mi-8 helicopters shot down last week over the Bryansk region; the Ukrainians pushed the Patriot system close to the border and hit them from afar…” Rushton wrote about it on Twitter.

Another Twitter account that follows and analyzes the war in Ukraine, veteran Italian elite forces Thomas C. Theiner, said as recently as three days ago that “the Russians are not going to like this at all” where it is one of two Patriot systems:

“The Patriot battery, donated by the US Army, is located in Kyiv. The Patriot battery, donated to the German Air Force, is in… well, we won’t say where, but the Russians won’t like it – they won’t like it at all.’

Tayner is back with another tweet according to the CNN article: “Three days ago I hinted at the Patriot systems going around…but a US official has now told Natasha Bertrand (author of the CNN article) enough for you all to understand what’s going on.”