Russia said on Tuesday it had destroyed five Su-27 fighter jets at an airbase in Ukraine, sparking debate over kyiv’s ability to secure its airfields ahead of the expected delivery of F-16s.
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The Russian Defense Ministry said it had struck a base near the town of Myrhorod, some 150 km from the Russian border, where the Soviet-designed missiles were located, with Iskander-M ballistic missiles.
“ Five Su-27 fighter jets were destroyed and two others, which were being repaired, were damaged. “, the ministry said on its Telegram account in a message accompanied by a video showing a strike filmed probably by a drone. AFP is not able to confirm the veracity of these statements, and theUkraine did not comment on the reports, but the strike was first reported on Monday, July 1, by Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers.
The commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleshchuk, on Tuesday described the Russian claim as ” propaganda “, without providing details. For his part, he claimed responsibility for a Ukrainian strike ” devastating ” Monday against a Russian munitions depot in Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014 and which serves as a rear base for its war effort.
Difficulties of Ukrainian Defense
Yuri Ignat, a former spokesman for the Ukrainian air force who still serves in it, confirmed the attack on a Ukrainian airfield claimed by Moscow, but insisted that the losses were lower. There are losses, but less than the enemy claims ” he wrote on Facebook. The Air Force does everything to thwart the enemy’s plans and mislead them, particularly by using models. ” said the soldier.
However, the bombing of the airfield and the presence of a Russian drone at such a distance from the front illustrate Ukraine’s difficulties in anti-aircraft defense and the threat that will weigh on the Western aircraft it is expecting.
kyiv has been demanding the F-16s, American-made fighter jets, since the start of the Russian assault in February 2022, while the Russia has a much more powerful air force. These aircraft are intended to both secure the skies over Ukraine and support ground troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he needs 120 to 130 aircraft. Countries from theNATO have promised dozens of planes and are training crews. And the delivery of the first ones is imminent.
Delivery of combat aircraft
France announced in early June that it would provide this year French Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine and that Ukrainian crews would be trained immediately. She did not specify the number at this stage.
Russian strike on airbase ” has raised many questions in society, including why the Ukrainian planes were not in shelters, but in the open air. The answer is simple: there are none “, notes the Ukrainian military analytical center Defense Express. As Ukraine waits for F-16s, questions arise about their safety on the ground “, notes the center, which also notes that the Ukrainian army was unable to do anything against the Russian surveillance drone that filmed the attack. It emphasizes, however, that the dimensions of the American planes would allow them to enter a type of concrete shelter present in Ukraine.
Ukraine has repeatedly claimed strikes on Russian military airfields in Crimea or on Russian territory. Earlier this month, it claimed to have struck a Russian Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter jet with a drone at an airport in the Russian region of Astrakhan, 600 km from Ukrainian territory.
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