Bulgaria Sends 14 Su-25 Frogfoots to Ukraine

Bulgaria has sent 14 Su-25 Frogfoots to the Ukrainian Air Force. The Su-25 is a russian military aircraft.

A little video about aid sent to Ukraine. So, these were somewhat announced a week or so ago. There was word that an unspecified Eastern European nation was supplying Su-25s to Ukraine, but no word which one. Rumor was it was going to be the ones Czech Republic has in storage. It turns out, they are from Bulgaria, which is sending 14 Su-25s to Ukraine. They are officially delivering them to the US for political reasons and they will then be passed on to Ukraine.

Now, I love the Su-25. I think it’s a brilliant aircraft. Well built and very durable—there was video from earlier in the war of one that was shot to pieces yet still had managed to land. A Russian was photographed surviving a MANPAD hit and returning to base. These are tough.

It also carries quite a lot of firepower. It’s basically the Russian equivalent of the A-10. The Su-25 is faster, so can reach the frontline quicker and is more maneuverable. But the A-10 can carry twice the payload and has more range and fly time.

Both are great aircraft though. But, this video is about the Su-25s sent by Bulgaria, so back to that.

It was introduced in 1981 and has proven itself in a number of wars and conflicts, from the Soviet-Afghan War to the current war in Ukraine. Time and time again it has proven its worth as a close-air support aircraft. It was, and is still operated by, a number of countries—including Ukraine. It’s one of the aircraft we have seen in use the most over Ukraine—on both sides. There’s plenty of video footage of Su-25s in action because they tend to fly very, very low as a way to avoid MANPADS and SAMs.

Ukraine, at the start of the war, had approximately 19 in service. Though some in storage may have been brought back to use.

It has a crew of one and is powered by a pair of turbojet engines—one either side of the fuselage, giving the Su-25 its distinct appearance. It is subsonic, with a max speed of 975 kilometers and hour and it has a combat range of 750km. It has a ceiling of 7,000 meters, but we typically see these operating at a very low altitude—sometimes just above tree top level.

Firepower—the Su-25 also has a 30mmautocannon of its own with 250 rounds. Additionally, it has gun pods for 2 23mm autocannons, adding to its fire power. It also has 11 hardpoints allowing it to carry 9,700 lbs of weapons. It can be outfitted with a mix of kit depending on the mission including rockets, missiles and bombs.

This a really good aircraft. Ukraine has put its Su-25s to good use so far in the war. 14 new ones will be extremely needed. As mentioned, Ukraine had approximately 19 in service at the start of the war and has lost some. Oryx has visually confirmed 8 Su-25s as being destroyed or damaged beyond repair. So, extra units were urgently needed.