The Su-25 attack aircraft crashed during the demilitarization operation in Ukraine as a result of an error in piloting techniques. On Thursday, February 24, the representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Igor Konashenkov told reporters.
"In the Russian Aerospace Forces, as a result of an error in piloting techniques, a Su-25 attack aircraft crashed. The pilot ejected safely and is already in the location of his military unit," Konashenkov said.
At about 11 a.m. on February 24, two Russian civilian cargo ships were hit by a missile attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Sea of Azov. The fire was conducted from the direction of Mariupol. As a result of the shelling, one ship was damaged, a fire broke out on board, and one of the crew members was seriously injured.
On the same day in the morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin in his special televised address said that a special military operation would be carried out in the Donbass to protect civilians.
After that, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky accused Russia of hitting the country's military infrastructure and imposed martial law throughout the country. He also said in an interview with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer that he did not know "how long his country would last."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the operation to protect Donbass is an attempt to prevent a global war. She stressed that a bloody war with civilian casualties had been waged in Donbass for eight years. Zakharova also said that the war was fought on various fronts, including sanctions and information.
On February 21, Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the LPR and the DPR. Also, the Russian leader and the heads of both republics Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin signed agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance. The documents were ratified the next day by both the republics themselves and the Russian State Duma.
The situation on the contact line in Donbass escalated on February 17. In the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, intense shelling by Ukrainian security forces, including from heavy weapons, was reported. The republics announced a general mobilization and evacuation of civilians to the territory of Russia.
Since 2014, the Ukrainian authorities have been conducting a military operation against the residents of Donbass, who refused to recognize the results of the coup and the new government in Ukraine. At the same time, Kiev blames Moscow for the current situation. Russia has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the conflict.
