The Russian Air Force may be using a “not-so-new” tactic to restrict Ukraine’s Western-supplied fighter jets, at a time when the Ukrainian Air Force is already staring at a depleted fighter fleet.  

Rostec, the Russian state-owned arms conglomerate, recently wrote in a Telegram post that the VKS has been using the deadly duo of Su-35S Flanker-E and the Su-34 Fullback fighter-bomber to prevent Ukraine from using the western fighter jets and their powerful weapons effectively in combat.

The Telegram message, posted on August 18, states that while the Su-34 fighter bomber is the primary strike platform in attack missions, the Su-35S acts as a cover aircraft.

“The Thirty-fifth is a super-maneuverable aircraft that can protect strike groups from threats from above. It is equipped with a phased radar that allows it to detect and track multiple targets. The aircraft can suppress air defense facilities and conduct reconnaissance. The Su-34 is capable of delivering pinpoint strikes deep into the enemy’s rear, where it penetrates with the assistance of its combat comrade, using various means of destruction … the Su-35S with its “long arm” does not allow enemy aircraft to reach the lines of use of weapons,” Rostec said in the message.

In a nutshell, the Su-34 launches munitions, and the Su-35S serves as the escort and air superiority component. It is tasked with detecting and engaging enemy aircraft.

It carries long-range air-to-air missiles, such as the R-77 or R-37M, which enable it to engage enemy aircraft at long ranges, preventing them from reaching their intended attack lines.

Moreover, the Su-35S provides electronic warfare (EW) protection while the Su-34 carries out its strikes. The Su-35S has Khibiny EW pods on its wingtips that can detect radar emissions from ground-based AD systems or even possibly jam incoming SAMs while alerting the Su-34’s crew if it has been targeted.

This is not the first time that Russia has made such claims.

Last year, as Ukraine claimed to have downed multiple Su-34 bombers, an official communication from the Russian Ministry of Defense (RuMoD) stated that the Fullback was deployed for conducting ground strikes using UPMC kits under the protection of the Su-35S.

That was the first admission of what we already knew: the Su-34 and the Su-35S make a deadly duo when they operate in tandem.

The latest Rostec post also states that Ukrainian pilots have been avoiding direct confrontations with Su-35S planes. This has led to a fall in the number of enemy aircraft shot down by Russian forces, as Ukrainian planes are staying out of engagement range.

The claims, though not verified, are significant as they come months after some reports claimed that a Ukrainian F-16 managed to down a Russian Su-35S Korenevo, Kursk Oblast, on June 8, 2025. 

According to Ukrainian sources, such as the Kyiv Insider Telegram channel, the Russian ace fighter was tracked from a distance of 200 to 300 kilometers by a Swedish-supplied Saab 340 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. Once the coordinates of the aircraft were established, the F-16 pilot used an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile to shoot down the Su-35, with the Russian pilot ejecting safely.

The incident was never acknowledged by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The F-16 and Mirage 2000 in service with Ukraine are primarily used for air defense patrols. The aircraft has been used to intercept Russian aerial threats, including cruise missiles, drones, and fighter jets.

By March 2025, Ukraine was known to be using F-16s for offensive missions instead of just defensive ones, such as attacking Russian military installations, headquarters, and positions in Kursk Oblast.

These operations involved coordination with Ukraine’s Soviet-era MiG-29s and Su-27s, leveraging the F-16’s superior payload capacity and advanced Western munitions like JDAM glide bombs and Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs).

If Rostec’s claims are true, Ukraine may not directly engage Russian fighter jets, primarily because the country operates very few F-16 and Mirage 2000 jets. It has lost four F-16s so far. The first F-16 crashed shortly after delivery in August 2024, followed by three additional incidents, the most recent of which occurred in late June 2025. It also lost its first French Mirage 2000 in July.

Although Ukraine has blamed technical malfunctions for these crashes, Russian authorities assert that they were downed by its forces.

Sergey Shmotyev, the Director General of the Fores, earlier said 12 Russian soldiers who helped shoot down the first F-16 fighter in the ‘special military operation’ zone have received 15 million rubles ($195,000). Thus, indicating that not all F-16s were lost to malfunctions after all.

Previous reports hinted that Kyiv is running low on air defense missiles, which means that the Russian jets can hit much closer to the frontlines and launch attacks at close range. According to the FighterBomber Telegram channel, Russian fighters are now operating much closer to the line of contact, conducting DEAD (Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses) missions and targeting Ukrainian air defense systems.

End Of The Ukraine Conflict On Cards?

Days after he hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military facility in Alaska, US President Donald Trump invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to the White House on August 18, as part of efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.

One of the main conclusions of this high-stakes meeting was that the 30 nations, known as the “Coalition of the Willing,” agreed to start working with the US to work on security assurances for Ukraine.

Even though Trump downplayed the significance of a ceasefire, he did express optimism about US engagement in ensuring Ukraine’s security in the future. Welcoming Zelenskyy to the White House, he said: “When it comes to security, there’s going to be a lot of help,” even if European countries need to be “a first line of defence”. Later, he said in a social media post that these assurances would be “coordinated” with the United States.

Zelenskyy stated that in the next seven to ten days, Kyiv’s partners would “unpack” the security guarantees and formalize them.

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed on August 18 that Russia “categorically rejects” any scenario that envisages the appearance in Ukraine of a military contingent with the participation of NATO countries.”

Following the meeting, Trump proposed a face-to-face summit between Putin and Zelenskyy. “I called President Putin and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two presidents, plus me,” he said after the meeting.

Separately, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged that Putin had consented to the bilateral meeting, but they did not provide a time or venue. Moreover, Zelenskyy told reporters that he was “ready” to have a one-on-one meeting with the Russian leader, calling his meeting with Trump a “very good conversation.”

However, a key issue remained unclear: what happens to the territories occupied by Russia during the ‘special military operations’?

Before the meeting, Trump had warned that any negotiated settlement would not include the return of Crimea to Ukraine. He said the settlement to end the war would entail “some swapping, changes in land” between Russia and Ukraine. Russia controls about one-fifth of Ukraine, according to open-source estimates. 

Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that he would not give out more territory to Russia. “We will leave the issue of territories between me and Putin,” he told reporters when asked about the occupied regions.

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the country will not agree on ending the war if there is no respect for the security of the Russian Federation and the rights of Russians in Ukraine.