Strikes carried out by Ukraine against targets in the temporarily occupied territory are leading to increased pressure on Russian air defense systems, resulting in them shooting down their own planes, the UK Ministry of Defense reports, citing intelligence data.

"Ukraine had conducted strikes against targets in Sevastopol and the Black Sea Fleet on March 24, 2024. This almost certainly led to local Russian air defense being at a heightened readiness. There have been previous unconfirmed reports of similar instances of friendly fire occurring, usually following periods of Ukrainian action against Russian forces in the illegally occupied territory," they said on the X social network.

"On March 28, 2024, a Crimean Telegram channel reported that an SU-27 aircraft operating over Crimea had been shot down by Russian air defense in an incident of friendly fire. The Russian-installed Governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, stated that there was a technical failure and that the pilot survived," reads the report.

"There is a realistic possibility that rather than a technical issue, the increased pressure and tension amongst Russian air defense operators induced by the fear of further Ukrainian action leads to them inadvertently engaging their own pilots and aircraft," the intelligence said.

"This event, and others if confirmed, likely highlights the lack of situational awareness and coordination between elements of the Russian armed forces, while further demonstrating the second-order impact of Ukrainian actions," according to the report.