Free Republic

THIS is the dramatic moment Vladimir Putin's £32 million Su-27 fighter jet plunges into flames in the Black Sea. Footage shows the pilot ejecting from the burning aircraft and launching his parachute before it explodes into a fireball inferno. The plane could be seen hurtling through the sky as onlookers watched on with horror from below. The aircraft eventually smashed into the sea off annexed Sevastopol in Crimea, but not before the pilot managed to escape within an inch of his life.

The Russian proxy leader in Sevastopol in occupied Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhayev, claimed on the evening of March 23 that "10 missiles were shot down" over the city during an ongoing attack. The announcement came amid claims on Telegram channels about explosions and rising smoke in Sevastopol. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims. Ukrainian officials usually do not comment on alleged attacks in occupied Crimea. -snip- The Crimean Wind Telegram channel published multiple videos and photos capturing projectiles, explosions, and smoke rising above the city. According to Crimean Wind, explosions were heard also in the Balaklava district, and a...