MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax) - Russian forces have downed three Ukrainian Sukhoi warplanes, including one near the Zmiinyi Island in the Black Sea, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a press briefing on Thursday.
"Russian air defense has downed three aircraft of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including a Sukhoi Su-24 near the Zmiinyi Island, a Su-27 near Inhulets in the Kherson region, and a Su-25 near Kosheve in the Dnipropetrovsk region," Konashenkov said.
A Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone has been downed in the Zmiinyi Island area, he said.
"Fourteen Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were downed overnight in the vicinity of Verbivka, Velyka Kamyshevakha, Brazhkivka, Vesele, Peremoha and Velyki Prokhody in the Kharkiv region, Barvinik in the Kherson region, Avdiivka, Dolia and Kamianka in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Sievierodonetsk in the Luhansk People's Republic, including a Bayraktar TB2 drone near the Zmiinyi Island," Konashenkov said.
Two Smerch rockets were intercepted in mid-air near the village of Tarasivka and Vasylivka in the Zaporizhzhya region overnight, he said.
Since the beginning of the military operation, the Russian army has destroyed 987 Ukrainian planes, helicopters and drones, Konashenkov said.
"In all, 149 planes, 112 helicopters, 726 unmanned aerial vehicles, 288 air defense missile systems, 2,834 tanks and other kinds of armored combat vehicles, 325 rocket launchers, 1,306 artillery systems and mortars, and 2,646 special military vehicles have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation," he said.
The Russian military said on May 2 it had downed three Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 attack drones in the vicinity of the Zmiinyi Island.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on February 25 that 82 Ukrainian servicemen voluntarily surrendered to Russian troops in the Zmiinyi Island area and gave a written pledge not to take part in the hostilities. They were taken to Sevastopol by a rescue tug the next day.