Downing of Su-34s affects Russia's operations on Dnipro's left bank - UK intelligence

The downing of three Su-34 combat fighters in the southern part of the frontline has affected the Russian troops' operations on Dnipro's left bank in the Kherson region

This is stated in a report by the UK Defense Ministry.

Before the downing of the three Su-34s, Russian tactical aviation played a key role in the south, especially attacking the Ukrainian bridgehead on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River.

Following these losses, Russia almost completely ceased manned operations in the south by the end of December 2023. The intelligence community believes that the probability that the lack of air support contributed to the failure of the 18th Combined Arms Army's attempt to liberate the bridgehead.

"In recent days, Russia has again intensified tactical air strikes around the bridgehead, but at a lower level than before the shootdowns. This once again demonstrates that Russia's inability to establish air superiority in the early stages of the Russia-Ukraine war continues to undermine their daily operations," the British Ministry of Defense emphasizes.