Uvira: AFC/M23 Shoots Down FARDC Sukhoi-25 Fighter Jet

UVIRA, South Kivu - The AFC/M23 coalition has shot down a Sukhoi-25 fighter jet operated by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) during military operations in South Kivu Province, according to multiple local sources.

The aircraft was reportedly hit mid-air at around 7:00 a.m. on December 26, 2025, while flying over the port of Kalundu in Uvira Territory, before crashing into Lake Tanganyika.

Sources confirmed that since early morning, FARDC, supported by the Wazalendo coalition, had launched intense attacks on AFC/M23 positions, deploying combat drones and heavy weapons.

The clashes followed the withdrawal of AFC/M23 fighters from the Makabola camp on the afternoon of December 25, after which FARDC and Wazalendo forces moved in to inspect the area, according to local residents.

During the same operations, FARDC forces attacked the port of Kalundu, where two AFC/M23 boats on Lake Tanganyika were reportedly destroyed, killing fighters on board.

FARDC combat drones also targeted AFC/M23 facilities, including Kala, in Uvira Territory, a site that previously served as a base for the United Nations peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO).

Before being shot down, the Sukhoi-25 had reportedly conducted three airstrikes on areas under AFC/M23 control earlier that morning. Two crew members aboard the aircraft are reported to have fallen into Lake Tanganyika and died.

Additional reports indicate that the same aircraft had recently been used by the DRC army in attacks on Banyamulenge-inhabited areas in Minembwe Commune, as well as against positions held by the MRDP-Twirwaneho armed group.

This incident marks the second Sukhoi-25 lost by the DRC military. The first was captured by AFC/M23 fighters during the fall of Goma and its airport in late January 2025.

Earlier, on December 6, another helicopter operating over Lake Tanganyika crashed, killing one crew member. The MRDP-Twirwaneho group later claimed responsibility, stating the aircraft had continued firing on civilians.

The latest developments underscore the escalating intensity of air and ground combat in eastern DRC, particularly around Uvira and the Lake Tanganyika corridor.