FT: russian forces downed their own aircraft during February 2022 invasion

In the early days of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the russian military shot down several of its own planes. It explains why the russian federation lacked pilots with combat experience involving ground forces.

According to the new Financial Times report, the former US senator noted that "it may not be double digits, but it is more than one or two" of Russian planes shot down by friendly fire.

"There were a lot of fratricides", he said.

"Perhaps they didn't have pilots with combat experience who would want to fly over Ukraine and risk themselves in those crazy circumstances", he added.

Vadym Skibitsky, the representative of the Chief Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, confirmed this information.

"It happened. From artillery units, from tanks, and we even saw it from our interceptions of their conversations. They shot down their own helicopters and shot down their own planes", he stressed.

Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov noted that the russian federation lost 10 times more soldiers during the year of the full-scale war against Ukraine than during the 10 years of the war in Afghanistan.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the Ukrainian military destroyed 299 russian aircraft and 287 helicopters, as well as 3,350 enemy tanks.