Su-34s Are Russia’s Best Precision Bombers. Which Is Why Ukraine Is Shooting Them Down—As Fast As It Can.

Before Russia widened its war on Ukraine in February 2022, the 140-strong Su-34 fleet was the main repository of tactical strike expertise in the Russian air force. The Su-34 crews had refined their precision-guided-munition skills during Russia’s war in Syria starting in 2015, Justin Bronk, an analyst with the Royal United Services Institute in London, explained in a 2022 study.