Ukraine’s Air Defence Success: Six Russian Fighter Jets Downed in Three Days

Ukraine’s Air Defence forces have declared that they have shot down two additional Russian fighter jets on Monday morning, further extending its claimed tally to six jets destroyed within a mere three-day span.

This announcement follows closely on the heels of Ukraine’s assertion that it had downed four Russian aircraft over the weekend, comprising three Su-34s and one Su-35.

The latest targets, as identified by Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, were a Su-34 fighter-bomber and a Su-35S fighter jet.

These aircraft were reportedly engaged in attacks on Ukrainian troop positions with guided air bombs before being intercepted and destroyed by Ukraine’s air force.

The Su-34, heralded as Russia’s premier fighter bomber with an estimated cost of $50 million each, and the Su-35, boasting a substantial bomb load exceeding 17,000 pounds, underscore the significance of Ukraine’s successful interceptions.

Despite Russia’s considerable air power advantage, Ukraine has managed to curtail the effectiveness of Russian airstrikes throughout the conflict, primarily through the adept use of air defence systems.

This strategic approach has effectively confined Russian aircraft to their own airspace, preventing them from operating freely over Ukrainian territory.

Professor Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute noted Ukraine’s remarkable accomplishment in rendering Russia’s air force “largely irrelevant to the conflict,” emphasising the tactical prowess demonstrated by Ukrainian forces.

This recent feat adds to Ukraine’s previous successes in downing Russian jets, including the elimination of three Su-34s in December and the targeting of a rare and costly A-50 radar early-warning plane in January.

Such losses have not gone unnoticed, with analysts describing them as “embarrassing” for Russia in light of its superior air force.

Conversely, Russia has also managed to down Ukrainian aircraft as part of its ongoing invasion initiated in February 2022.

Recognizing the importance of bolstering Ukraine’s air capabilities, the US and other allies have considered providing fighter jets, with the possibility of US-manufactured F-16s being deployed.

While Ukrainian pilots undergo training on these aircraft, the timeline for their integration into the conflict remains uncertain.

A Pentagon official recently indicated that the US and its allies anticipate Ukraine’s air force achieving “initial operating capability” on the F-16s by the end of the current year, underscoring ongoing efforts to enhance Ukraine’s defensive capabilities against Russian aggression.

Main image: By Srđan Popović – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27441687

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