Air battle reported over Mariupol district

Eyewitness on the ground reported an air battle near Mariupol on September 30, as a result of which a Russian warplane caught fire.

That’s according to Petro Andriushchenko, the advisor to the legitimate Mariupol mayor, who reported the news on Telegram, as seen by Ukrinform.

"The return of Mariupol is getting nearer. It’s not only about the ‘Lyman pocket’ (a reference to an encirclement of a large group of Russian troops by Ukraine’s forces in the town of Lyman, Donetsk region - ed.) Yesterday, the locals saw an air battle over the village of Urzuf in Mariupol district," the official wrote.

Read also: Four civilians killed in Russia’s shelling of Donetsk region

It is noted that as a result of the standoff, the Russian warplane caught fire and was seen trying to get to the Prymorsko-Akhtarskyi airfield, followed by a thick smoke trail.

At the moment, there are no verified reports on whether the crew successfully landed the aircraft.