Ukrainian government officials claim two jets have been shot down, though it remains unclear at this point exactly where this event took place or whether the planes were engaged in the air or brought down by surface-based weaponry. One official stated that the jets came down not far from the crash site of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17.
A second spokesman claimed that the aircraft were shot down at a totally different location. The whereabouts and status of the pilots remain unknown.
The jets involved in the incident are Sukhoi Su-25 (codenamed “Frogfoot” by NATO), a single seat, close-support aircraft model that saw extensive action in the Afghan war against the Soviet army.
More to follow…