Russia says it took out Ukraine air defenses; Ukraine says it shot down 5 Russian aircraft

People react standing behind the cordoned off area around the remains of a shell in Kyiv on February 24, 2022 (Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP)
The Russian military says it has knocked out Ukraine’s air defense assets and airbases.
The Russian Defense Ministry says the Russian strikes have “suppressed air defense means of the Ukrainian military,” adding that the “infrastructure of Ukraine’s military bases has been incapacitated.”
It denies the claims that a Russian warplane was shot down over Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military, meanwhile, reports that it has shot down five Russian aircraft while fending off the Russian attack on the country.