Ukrainian forces said they shot down a Russian fighter jet today, while Russia claims to have made progress in eastern Ukraine, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
A Russian Su-25 fighter-bomber was shot down near the city of Konstantinivka in the Donetsk region, the head of the city's military administration, Serhiy Gorbunov, told Ukrainian public television. Pictures released show the charred wreckage of a plane after it crashed into a house and started a fire.
In turn, Russian forces said today that they had captured the village of Zhelane Drukhe, also in Donetsk region.
If this information is confirmed, it means that the village fell under Russian control just three days after the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the town of Ugledar, located about 33 km away, which had been the subject of fierce fighting for two years.
While the loss of Ugledar is unlikely to dramatically change the course of the war, it is indicative of the deteriorating situation of the Ukrainian military, partly as a result of the US refusal to allow Kiev to strike deep into Russian territory, which does not allows Ukraine to destroy Russia's military capabilities, notes AP.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said today that he will present his "plan for victory" at the regular high-level meeting of the Contact Group on the provision of defense assistance to Ukraine, which will be held on October 12 at the US Air Force Base "Ramstein" in Southwest Germany.
"We will present the plan for victory, clear, concrete steps for a just end to the war. The determination of our partners and the strengthening of Ukraine's defense are what can stop Russian aggression," he wrote on the Telegram platform. and added that the upcoming 25th meeting of the "Rammstein" will be the first at the level of leaders of countries.