Insane footage showing Russian pilot's cam ejecting from shot down Su-25SM3
old.reddit.com
old.reddit.com
And it ranges from everything from memes, to propaganda, to things like this: we went from Human tragedy on tap via 24 hour news, to now social media based content delivery and the next will be to have some sort of simulated experience like a BD.
I also found (https://tass.com/defense/1459487): "The Russian aviation is successfully using upgraded Su-25SM3 aircraft in the military operation in Ukraine. They are equipped with the Vitebsk-25 electronic warfare system, providing reliable protection from the enemy’s MANPADS missile strikes"
I couldn’t see what hit it or whether it was hit at all, but I guess there’s a good chance that isn’t entirely correct (anymore)
So, it is not an unreasonable statement that the electronics countermeasures suite Vitebsk-25 is able to provide some sort of protection against some of the MANPAD systems in the theater of conflict.
It is also not clear what they mean by "protection". Most MANPADs have to acquire a target first - some via passive heat/IR targeting, some via laser designation, some via radar. So, protection could mean anything from "detecting targeting of aircraft" (thereby giving the pilot the opportunity to perform evasive maneuvers, use terrain to hide, etc), through "launch detection", and all the way to "actively jamming the incoming missle(s)".
To be fair, no press release would include this level of detail. But, details matter a lot. This is why the aircraft designation is not just Su-25, but a more specific Su-25SM3.