A RUSSIAN jet and other aircraft shot down on their own soil were reportedly struck by Ukraine’s powerful Patriot missile system.

Putin’s air force is said to have suffered one of its worst days since the war began as Ukraine appeared to amp up its offensive.

It’s been reported two jets, a Su-34 and Su-35, and two Mi-8 military helicopters were shot out of the sky over the Bryansk region last week.

Footage shared online showed the military planes and choppers taking a nosedive before crashing into the ground in an inferno.

The town where the first two planes crashed lies in the south-eastern region of Bryansk, about 25 miles from the Ukrainian border.

Another Mi-8 helicopter along with a Su-35 single seater fighter also came down, elsewhere in the region.

Then just two hours later, footage showed the Su-34 falling from the skies and its burnt wreckage on the ground.

Up to 11 Russian airmen are reported to have perished, but their funerals are said to have been classified by authorities to save face.

Conflicting reports emerged in wake of the crashes, with Russian news outlets claiming the aircraft were taken out by friendly fire when target recognition systems malfunctioned.

Ukrainian reports also strongly denied its forces were responsible, alleging they were hit by Russia’s own air defences.

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But it has now been alleged that Kyiv had carried out the attacks while using its American-made Patriot air defence system.

The war-torn nation is said to have targeted Putin’s jets as they suspected they were getting ready to launch missiles at Ukrainian targets.

Russian newspaper Kommersant said the aircraft were “to carry out a missile-bombing strike on targets in the Chernihiv Region of Ukraine”.

According to CNN, the publication stated that the helicopters were sent “to back them up, including to pick up the Su crews if they were shot down by enemy fire.”

It was also suggested that one of the choppers may have been kitted out with advanced jamming equipment.

The Patriot – which stands for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target – boasts a powerful radar, a control station, a power generator, launch stations and other support vehicles.

And crucially, it is believed to be the only missile system that is capable of shooting as far as Bryansk.

Some experts suggested Ukraine may have pushed its air defences towards the border in retaliation to Russia using more “glide munitions” that can be fired from a distance.

The Patriot has proved an essential piece of kit for Ukrainian fighters to intercept missiles and shoot down Russian “kamikaze” drones.

A single unit costs around $1.1billion – $400million for the system and $690million for the missiles – but it has granted Ukraine a priceless advantage when defending itself against air attacks.

Each missile fired from costs around $4million – meaning if Ukraine were behind the incidents, it would have come at some cost.

The US confirmed the air defence battery was damaged after Russia launched a “merciless” bombardment on Kyiv on Tuesday.

But the Patriot, which was delivered to Ukraine just last month, is now back up and running again after minor repairs.

The nation claimed that it successfully downed all six of Putin’s “unstoppable” Kinzhal missiles during the strikes.

The Patriot was still in operation at the time when the jets and helicopters were shot down.

Locals who witnessed the crashes and pro-war Russians have insisted that it was spectacular Ukranian strikes that downed the aircraft.

There was also speculation that Ukraine could have used US mid-range AIM-120 air-to-air missiles for the blitz.

A post on the Rybar Telegram channel read: “The missiles were launched practically horizontally,” said Rybar channel.

“This version is supported by the fact that the Polish MiGs transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been upgraded.”

Secrecy surrounds any such supply of AIM-120 missiles from the US.

Another Telegram post alleged that Ukrainians were “launching rockets from the Chernihiv region, coming almost to the very border.”

The Russian Defense Ministry has not made any comment on the incident.

Last year, Vladimir Putin was left humiliated when his troops shot down one of their own $34million fighter jets.