In just a dozen days, Russia lost as many combat aircraft in its ongoing war in Ukraine. The losses included three Su-34 fighter-bombers that were shot down on Thursday—with reports of the downing quickly circulating on social media.
The Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO reporting name “Fullback”) multirole strike aircraft is a twin-engine, twin-seat, all-weather supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber, initially developed for the Soviet Air Forces in the 1980s. It was one of the Kremlin’s many programs that were forced on the backburner following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the economic crisis that followed. The program was later revived and the Su-34 formally entered service in 2014. It has been considered one of the Kremlin’s most capable warbirds.
The loss of so many aircraft, including a total of eight Su-34s, can’t be downplayed. That was a point made by David Axe, writing for Forbes.com last week, as he suggested that the Russian air force is losing warplanes far, far faster than it can afford to lose them.
“Russia’s sanctions-throttled aerospace industry is struggling to build more than a couple of dozen new planes a year,” Axe wrote.
It isn’t just aircraft either. Russia has lost thousands of tanks, and upward of 400,000 dead and wounded, with figures regularly posted online and tracked by open-source military intelligence trackers.
“The Russian military is dying a brutal death in Ukraine,” said Harry J. Kazianis, senior director of National Security Affairs at the Center for the National Interest.
“I don’t see how Moscow doesn’t need a generation of rebuilding to get to anything close to being able to challenge NATO—if it ever truly can,” added Kazianis. “Russia may indeed get some territory for Ukraine in a peace deal someday, however, it may trade that territory for losing its right to being called a great military power.”
There were times when governments would seek to hide such losses on the battlefield.
However, in the era of social media, it is also nearly impossible for the Kremlin to conceal or even downplay the recent losses from the world, and more importantly from the Russian people. During past conflicts, the official propaganda machine could kick into overdrive and the public in Mother Russia might not know of any setbacks its military had experienced. That certainly isn’t the case with the ongoing war in Ukraine, as even pro-Kremlin propagandists have been vocal in criticizing the handling of the conflict.
Can’t Silence The Truth On Social Media
Since the earliest days of the war just over two years, Kyiv has also managed to employ social media to share its victories and highlight the suffering of its people during its setbacks.
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The downing of the Su-34, as well as two of just nine A-50 reconnaissance aircraft, became propaganda coups for Kyiv and came days after the city of Avdiivka fell to the Russian military. Thus even in defeat, Ukraine can craft a positive message—something that Russia has largely failed to do.
“It says that Russia can’t control the narrative outside of Russia and that’s of course because Ukraine is doing a very good job of making sure that they’re leaking intelligence that will get into the Western press and make Russia look bad,” said Dr. Matt Schmidt, associate professor of National Security and Political Science at the University of New Haven.
However, even with some pushback from the Russian propagandists, the Kremlin has attempted to do damage control to make sure that its losses don’t cause widespread panic at home.
“Critically Russia is effectively controlling the narrative in the Russian-speaking world,” added Schmidt, “And that is allowing Putin to be able to continue to recruit enough men to throw the Ukrainian into these human waves, and essentially to allow him to keep any kind of descent down to a manageable level.”
How long that will last has yet to be seen, and the power of social media shouldn’t be downplayed. Nor should Ukraine’s ability to shoot down Russian airplanes and then brag about it!
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
