Captured Russian pilots pleaded with Ukrainians that they were “just following orders” as nine of Putin’s aircraft were shot down in a single day.
It’s thought Vladimir Putin was confident he could overcome the
country in just 48 hours but 11 days on his forces are demoralised and
facing tough opposition, with some filmed crying for their mums.
Photos show burning wreckage and terrified pilots, with one blood-soaked and bandaged man insisting he was “not told anything” about the mission despite being presented with bombing maps apparently found in his cockpit, the Sun reports.
He’s forced to say “glory to Ukraine ” and asked “why are you bombing people?”
He was the surviving pilot after two were seen parachuting from their stricken aircraft above the Chernihiv and Mykolaiv oblasts.
A captured Russian pilot
A captured Russian pilot who claimed he was not told anything about his mission but who apparently had bombing maps in his cockpit
Civilians cheered as the jet – one of which is thought to have been a Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bomber used in Syria – was downed.
Ukrainians claim to have killed more than 11,000 of Putin’s troops – many of whom are teenage conscripts sent to their deaths by the despot.
Russian airstrikes have killed hundreds if not thousands of civilians across Ukraine, while more than 1.5 million have fled the country.
A captured Russian pilot who claimed he was not told anything about his mission but who apparently had bombing maps in his cockpit
One pilot says he was on a rescue mission and pleads he was just “ordered to fly”.
Despite having the second largest air force after America, with more than 4,000 planes, Russia’s advance into Ukraine has been slow.
Brutal attacks have been punctuated by embarrassing logistical failures stemming from poor maintenance of vehicles and apparent bad planning.
There have been reports of Russian troops surrendering and even puncturing their vehicle’s fuel tanks in a bid to avoid conflict.
Videos have shown Ukrainian farmers towing away expensive Russian tanks, missile launchers and troop carriers.
A 40-mile long ‘Convoy of Death’ which was ominously advancing on Kyiv with fears of a forthcoming siege, appears to have ground to a halt, among rumours of supply issues and break downs.
Experts suggested pictures showing vehicle’s shredded tyres pointed to a lack of regular maintenance.
In less than two weeks, Ukraine claims to have downed 44 planes and 48 helicopters, blown up 285 tanks, 985 armoured cars and 60 fuel tankers.
Yesterday, a Russian ‘Hind’ helicopter was hit with a stinger missile in the skies above Kozarovychi, 25 miles from the capital.
The fireball created by a downed combat helicopter
It is thought to have been a Soviet-era Mil Mi-24 Hind gunship, dubbed the “flying tank”, while elsewhere two MI-8 and two MI-35 helicopters and warplanes including two Su-34s, two Su-25s and one Su-30SM are believed to have been blasted out of the sky.
This morning, the Ministry of Defence said the Ukrainian resistance was appearing to fight back with surprising ferosity.
But it’s feared Putin’s actions will escalate as Moscow becomes increasingly desperate.
The wreckage of a Russian Su-30
Russian forces have seized the strategically important Black Sea ports of Berdiansk and Kherson but the end goal is Kyiv and a peace agreement is widely considered to be the only likely end to the conflict.
Putin has dubbed Western sanctions as like a “declaration of war”.
He’s said anyone enforcing a controversial “no-fly zone” over Ukraine will be judged to have entered the war and has told the west he “won’t forget” its response.
One of eleven Russian soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces who made a joint press statement on March
A ceasefire was agreed to allow for the evacuation of blockaded port city Mariupol in the southeast and the bombed-out eastern town of Volnovakha, but it was reportedly breached by Russian troops.
This morning, it was again said to be in place but there was no clear indication of how long it will last.
It comes as Boris Johnson drew up a six-point plan to put to world leaders about how to deal with Putin.
People cross a destroyed bridge as they evacuate the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv (
Meanwhile the US special forces and SAS commandoes are said to be preparing for a high-risk rescue of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The leader is said to have survived three assassination attempts in a week after double agents blew the plots apart but Russian Spetsnaz special forces are said to now be targeting him.
Source: dailynet.co.uk
