Russian Military Shoots Down Ukrainian Fighter Jet

A Russian military plane shot down a Ukrainian jet fighter over Ukrainian territory, reports the Ukrainian wire agency Unian. 

The pilot ejected successfully and is uninjured,  the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko said Thursday. 

Lysenko told reporters that the "provocation" occurred Wednesday evening. He said the pilot of the Su-25 assault aircraft was not injured and was rescued by Ukrainian military units.

"A military plane of the Russian Armed Forces launched a missile strike against a Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which performed tasks on Ukrainian territory," Lysenko said, according to the Unian. "Our plane was shot down."

According to Lysenko, the plane was on a mission over the town of Amvrosievka and was hit by an air-to-air missile in the tail. The missile reportedly was fired by Russian planes patrolling the nearby border.