According to the reference news network on December 26**, a message on the German social platform said that the Luftwaffe has delivered the second "Patriot" air defense system to Ukraine. In his daily nightly speech, Ukrainian Zelensky praised the performance of the Ukrainian Air Force and Air Defense Forces and warned Russian pilots. He praised the Ukrainian army for successfully shooting down five Russian warplanes in the week leading up to Christmas, including a Russian Su-34 and Su-30 fighter jets shot down over the Donetsk region and over the Black Sea. The commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Nikolai Oreshchuk, also announced on social platforms that the Ukrainian Air Force successfully shot down three Russian Su-34 fighters in the Kherson region on the 22nd. According to Reuters, Russian military bloggers admitted the loss of fighters from the Russian side. Some analysts believe that the Ukrainian side may have used the "Patriot" air defense system provided by the United States. However, Russian experts questioned this, saying that the relevant ** "evidence" was actually taken in April last year. That's all for the latest news, the Ukrainian army claims to have shot down 3 Russian Su-34 supersonic fighter-bombers in one day.
The West has reported that the Ukrainian Air Force has achieved a "major victory" in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, shooting down 3 Russian Su-34 bombers. This news has attracted widespread attention, however, some analysts believe that Ukraine may be engaged in "psychological warfare". At the same time, there is also a corruption scandal in Ukraine, where a senior defense ** has been accused of embezzling nearly $40 million in military purchase funds. The incident has raised questions about Zelensky's true intentions in the fight against corruption, which some believe may be an attempt to demonstrate to the EU its determination to join the EU. It is worth noting that although Ukrainian Zelensky made a routine speech on this matter and claimed that the Ukrainian military shot down the bombers with missiles, this news has not yet been confirmed. Valery Romanenko, an expert on Ukrainian aircraft, said in an interview that it was the Patriot air defense missile system that shot down the Russian bomber, but did not provide further evidence. Some Western countries have also failed to join the "Declaration on Security Guarantees for Ukraine", as Ukraine wanted, which has made some people doubt the results of the war claimed by Ukraine.
The American "Wall Street**" pointed out that if this news is true, it will be an exciting result for Ukraine, which has recently experienced a series of military setbacks. However, there are still many questions to be answered about the authenticity of this event and the intent behind it. Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, Moscow has confirmed the loss of 10 Su-34 fighter-bombers, including one accidental crash. However, statements about the loss of several Su-34s on the same day have not been confirmed. The Russian military has not made an official response to Ukraine's accusations, but some believe that Ukraine may be trying to conduct "psychological warfare". According to Boris Rozin, an expert at the Russian Military-Political Press Center, the plane crash claimed by the Ukrainian side is actually an old one published on April 4 last year, and we have confirmed the loss of 1 Su-34 bomber in the Kherson region, and 2 of the 3 bombers landed at the airfield". The United States "Power" pointed out that the Su-34 fighter-bomber has always been the main type of fighter for Russia to carry out ground strike missions in conflicts.
The Russian military has been working to equip the Su-34 fighter-bomber with unguided bombs equipped with gliding wings, which gives the Su-34 the ability to launch attacks at a longer distance, creating new challenges for the Ukrainian army. According to the relevant ** analysis, Su-34 fighter-bombers with long-range attack capabilities have recently been bombing the positions of the Ukrainian army that broke through the Russian army's defense line on the Dnieper River, entered the east bank of the river and established a stronghold in the Kherson region. The Ukrainian air defense forces are said to have secretly delivered the Western-aided American-made "Patriot" air defense missile system to the front line and successfully counterattacked Russian fighters. According to Wall Street, Ukraine is currently armed with five Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems from the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. In addition, Ukraine was also charged with $40 million. This shows that Ukraine needs to deal not only with fighting on the front lines, but also with corruption at home. The Directorate of Ukraine *** (SBU) arrested a senior ** of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on charges of being involved in the procurement of artillery shells**.
It is alleged that the ** signed a contract for the purchase of artillery shells with an intermediary company in December last year, and subsequently signed a supply contract with the same manufacturer of the shells that supplied the shells, excluding intermediaries. The new contract has significantly reduced lead times and reduced product costs by 30 percent. However, instead of terminating the original, more expensive contract, the ** extended it and transferred a total of about $40 million to a foreign intermediary account. The SBU said it had found evidence that corroborated the illegal activity. If convicted, the ** faces up to 15 years in prison. Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said it was taking steps to try to recover the money. Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the problem of corruption in Ukraine has been the focus of Western attention. In September of this year, the Ukrainian defense minister was forced to ** due to a corruption scandal involving the procurement of food and clothing for the army. According to the report, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine procures food for Ukrainian servicemen with two to three times the **, and has similar problems in the procurement of bulletproof vests, helmets, jackets, and pants. At the same time, the EU has made the fight against corruption one of the conditions for the review of Ukraine's application for membership.
Although EU leaders agreed to start formal accession talks with Ukraine, some analysts believe that the anti-corruption operation carried out by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense may have a "counter-devouring" effect on Zelensky**. Retired US colonel Douglas McGregor said that Zelensky's term may end due to corruption, "the Ukrainian military is becoming more and more dissatisfied with it, and most generals have begun to hate him." As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, there has also been a noticeable change in the West's attitude towards Ukraine. According to a report by the British "Daily Telegraph" on the 23rd, London will continue to provide assistance to Kyiv in 2024. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: "We [the UK] are looking at which spending lines to convert to long-term (aid to Ukraine)." Cameron also revealed that Kyiv may receive more support next year than it currently has. His statement hinted at Britain's long-term support plan for Ukraine. However, a report by "Ukrainska Pravda" on the 24th quoted Andriy Sibiha, deputy director of Zelensky's office, as saying that six EU countries did not join the "Declaration on Security Guarantees for Ukraine" adopted by the leaders of the G7 at the NATO summit in Vilnius.
Sibiha named six EU countries that had not joined the declaration: Austria, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Malta. In addition, Italian Defense Minister Crosetto said on the 23rd that it is time to find a political solution to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. According to Germany, Berlin is privately pressuring Kyiv to reach a peace agreement with Russia. However, Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Makeyev denied this rumor in an interview with German media on the 23rd. The American magazine "The Nation" pointed out that Western aid to Ukraine has failed to achieve the expected results, and Ukraine, at the instigation of the United States, has habitually asked for more and more aid. Some of the ** at the mercy of others are exaggerated and fanned the flames of endless conflicts. According to the report, the United States should put pressure on Zelensky to sit down at the negotiating table.