 Ukrainians destroyed Russian Su-34 and Su-30 fighter bombers with Patriot missiles. Ukrainian air defense forces shot down a Russian Su-34 bomber and an Su-30 fighter jet, report the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. That four Sukhoi Su-34s in three days, rate of loss, that's one of the worst so far for the Russian Air Force, 22 months into Russia's wider war on Ukraine. The Ukrainian air defense forces and means destroyed two Su-34 and Su-30 fighter bombers, the General Staff said in a statement. It is worth noting that the cost of one such bomber is about $50 million. Also the aviation of the defense forces struck 12 areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, ammunition depots and an enemy air defense missile system. It is noted that on the evening of December 24th, Air Force commander Mykailo Oleshchuk said that a Russian Su-34 was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile system in the Mariupol sector. On December 22nd, Oleshchuk said that the Ukrainian military had shot down three Russian Su-34 aircraft in the southern direction. He noted that this was the defense's response to a nighttime drone attack. Later, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuri Inat, noted that Su-34s had not been included in Russia's lost statistics for a long time. According to him, this plane is one of the newest aircraft in service with the Russian Army and can cost from $50 million. The command also hinted that the Russian Su-34 could have been shot down by a Patriot air defense missile system. A Patriot PAK-2 missile ranges as far as 100 miles under the best circumstances, making it Ukraine's farthest traveling air defense missile. A Patriot battery situated well behind the frontline in Kursan easily can hit a Russian glide bomber at its farthest release point 25 miles or so from a target along the Nipro. At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address that the ability of the Ukrainian military to shoot down Russian fighters is one of the keys to a just end to the war.