This video, originally posted in January, shows a Congalese SU-25 being hit by a (presumably) Rwandan MANPAD. The original source indicated that the aircraft landed, despite the damage.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been in intermittent conflict with a rebel military organization known as the March 23 Movement (M23) since 2012. Comprised mostly of ethnic Tutsis and supported by the government of Rwanda, M23 launched an offensive in 2022 and currently controls several towns in North Kivu province.

In 1999 Russia signed an agreement to train and equip the Congalese army, although in 2021 the DRC agreed to accept military assistance from the United States. Rwanda has supported M23 with arms, and elements of the Rwandan army have engaged Congalese soldiers inside the DRC in support of M23. The Russian-supplied SU-25 is one of four in the country, making its loss a critical blow to the DRC and their ability to conduct operations. This is also a prime example of an inequitable exchange in terms of equipment, in which a relatively cheap missile can neutralize a more valuable system.

About the Author

Cam

Cam served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps, deploying to the Horn of Africa and participating in combat operations in Iraq. He currently works in the maritime industry and in the defense sector as an instructor of combined arms planning and operations. An avid sailor, Cam founded and directs a nonprofit that supports veterans and first responders through sailing.