BALL OF FLAMES
Russian fighter blown out of sky as Ukraine claims 285 tanks & 88 jets destroyed in humiliation for embattled Putin
A RUSSIAN fighter jet was blown out the sky by Ukraine in another humiliation for Putin, as his forces continue to be hit by huge losses.
Steadfast Ukrainians have now wiped out 88 of his aircraft, according to their armed forces, as the bloody conflict enters its eleventh day.
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Despite initial concerns the country would quickly fall to Russia, power is instead said to be draining from the Kremlin as the botched invasion drags on.
Ukraine claims to have blown up a whopping 285 tanks as they keep Putin's henchmen at bay while they try and capture major cities.
And one extraordinary clip painting a picture of Putins failures appears to show a Russian Su-25 fighter jet being destroyed as it soared over Kharkiv.
The plane transforms into a fireball as it plummets to the ground, much to the delight of Ukrainians watching below.
Regional governor of Kharkiv, Oleg Synegubov, said his city's Air Defence Forces subdued the target with two surface-to-air missiles.
The aircraft can be seen erupting over Ukraine's second city as people cheer before crashing to the ground and exploding again upon impact.
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Synegubov said the jet was part of a legion of Russian aircraft that had been conducting regular bombing campaigns over the city.
Other video taken from a different angle from a security camera also shows the plane being shot down in a blazing ball of fire.
And a third video shows the plane crashing to the ground and lighting up the night sky, filmed from the window of someone's home.
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Photos from this morning also show the wreckage of the fighter plane, and further footage allegedly showing the captured pilot.
Kharkiv has been battered with explosives from the sky in recent days after Putin ordered his henchmen to unleash his stash of deadly missiles on numerous locations.
But despite the devastating raids, Ukraine is defiantly resisting while international pressure piles up on Putin.
It comes as:
- Boris Johnson is to present a six-point plan of action to world leaders on how to deal with Putin
- Ukraine claims it has now killed 11,000 Russian soldiers as yesterday nine of Putin's aircraft were shot down
- Putin issued a direct threat to the UK as he raged at sanctions "akin to a declaration of war"
- SAS and US commandos are reportedly training for a rescue mission to save President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- Visa and Mastercard suspended operations in Russia dealing Putin another major blow
- Cancer-stricken kids are trapped in war-torn Ukraine - as doctors tell them the bombs are just fireworks
- Heartbreaking pictures show the extent of Ukraine's refugee crisis - with 1.5million fleeing for their lives
- British firms helping Putin's henchmen must face the full force of the law, said David Davis MP
Just yesterday footage emerged of Russian pilots pleading for their lives as they were captured by soldiers and civilians.
Pictures show the burning wrecks of Russian aircraft and the terrified faces of Putin's men as they were detained after ejecting from their planes.
Footage shared online saw the airmen tied up with their hands behind their backs - some bloody after their desperate escapes, while explaining they were simply "following orders".
Ukraine today claimed they have killed 11,000 Russian troops since the invasion began.
With 11 days having passed since the initial attack, that means that Putin has lost approximately 1,000 men every single day.
They also say they have taken out 44 planes, 48 helicopters, 285 tanks, 109 artillery pieces and 985 armored personnel carriers, as President Zelenskyy's troops valiantly fight back.
But Russian airstrikes are believed to have killed hundreds - maybe thousands - of civilians across Ukraine.
Putin has seen his invasion met with staunch resistance and also has been blighted by embarrassing logistical failures and supply problems.
And despite having one of the largest air force's in the world, Russia's planes seem incapable of securing air superiority over Ukraine.
Yesterday saw one of the most striking videos of the war released as a Russian "Hind" helicopter was blasted out of the sky by a stinger missile.
Investigative journalism group Bellingcat geolocated the footage to Kozarovychi in the Kyiv Oblast - around 25 miles from the capital.
PUTIN KNOCKED DOWN A PEG
Users on social media suggest the helicopter could be a Mil Mi-24 Hind gunship, which was in use by Soviet forces from 1972 and dubbed the "flying tank".
It was the beginning of a flurry of losses for the Russians - with reports of five warplanes and choppers being shot down.
Two MI-8 and two MI-35 helicopters are believed to have been downed, along with warplanes including two Su-34s, two Su-25s and one Su-30SM.
Separate clips show Ukrainians cheering and applauding as they appear to shoot down two Russian aircraft in the Chernihiv and Mykolaiv oblasts.
In further embarrassment for the Kremlin, their losses have been ridiculed across the world on social media.
It's sure to rile the egotistical Russian leader, who is already enraged by Western sanctions against his regime, dubbing them a "declaration of war".
INVASION IS A 'MESS'
He also warned that anyone who attempts to enforce a no fly zone over Ukraine will be considered to have entered the conflict.
His men have now been accused of dropping 500kg bombs on civilians in Chernihiv.
Photos from cities and towns show the anguish of those running for their lives or sprawling on the ground as they cower from the incoming fire.
It comes as Britain's Chief of the Defence Staff said Russia had "got itself into a mess" over the invasion of Ukraine.
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Admiral Sir Tony Radakin suggested morale amongst Russian troops was dwindling and that the Kremlin had lost more men in a week than the UK did in 20 years in Afghanistan.
"We do know that some of the lead elements of Russian forces have been decimated by the Ukrainian response," he said.
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