Russia claimed that it deployed a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber and a Su-35S multirole fighter to hit a stronghold and manpower of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kursk border area.
Intense fighting has been reported in the Kursk region of western Russia, where Ukraine has launched a counter-offensive.
"A Su-34 multirole supersonic fighter-bomber, escorted by a Su-35S fighter, took off from its base airfield and carried out a bombing strike on a stronghold and manpower of the Ukrainian armed forces," the Russian defence ministry said, reported news agency TASS.
Sukhoi Su-34, also known as 'Fullback' is a multirole fighter-bomber designed for tactical bombing and ground attack missions.
The ministry said the Su-34 carried out the strike on the targets using universal planning and correction modules.
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"After completing the combat mission, the entire group successfully returned to the base airfield. According to the intelligence report, the targets were successfully hit."
In another statement, the ministry said the Su-34 fighter-bomber launched guided glide bombs and destroyed Ukrainian troops and armored vehicles near the border in the Kursk region.
The war is draining the resources of both sides, though military analysts claim that the conflict is less sustainable for smaller Ukraine, and the war's recent trajectory has not been in its favour.
Its undermanned army is under strain on the front line, especially in eastern areas, though Ukrainian officials say its five-month-long incursion into Russia's Kursk border region shows that Russia is vulnerable.
Ukrainian forces are clinging on to their diminishing defences in the eastern stronghold of Kurakhove, where Russian attackers have recently pushed forward after a monthslong battle, a military official said recently.
