To the surprise of many, the Russians have ignored one of the most important rules in war: as the attacking party, make sure you are master of the air. As soon as that air superiority is achieved in the first days, the ground war can then start undisturbed and the own army can be protected and supported from the air.
But none of that in Ukraine. Scattered across the country, Ukrainian Air Force fighter pilots are standing by every day, waiting in the cockpit of their MiG-29 or Sukhoi-27 to take off at any moment. Usually in the evening or at night, because then the pilots are less afraid of being discovered or being shot down. Many hangars in which the Ukrainians hide their warplanes are still intact. As well as the runways of the airports.
Hidden from the outside world, an unequal battle against a much stronger opponent has been going on for four weeks now. Including dogfights, with sometimes successes. Ukraine claims to have shot down a total of about 100 Russian aircraft, an unusually large number that has not been confirmed by independent sources.
Adrenaline rush
“I got into situations where I approached a Russian plane to a distance close enough to aim and fire,” Andriy, 25, said in the statement on Tuesday. New York Times† He is one of two fighter pilots who this week received permission from the Ukrainian Air Force to open up about Kyiv’s air operations.
Andriy: ‘I could already see the aircraft, but I waited until my rocket had it in its sights. At the same time, I was told from the ground that a missile had already been fired at me.’ With all kinds of maneuvers he managed to repel the Russian attack. “I still feel a huge adrenaline rush in my body because every flight is a fight,” said the fighter pilot.
It is unclear how many warplanes Ukraine has left as the war enters its fifth week. US military officials estimate that Kyiv still has 56 aircraft, of the more than 100 MiG-29s and Sukhois of various types the Air Force had before the war.
Scaring
As expected, the Ukrainian air bases came under Russian fire already on the first day of the war. At least eleven military airfields were bombarded with, among other things, Kalibr cruise missiles, as well as fifty other targets. These included radars and air defense missiles. But the Ukrainian air force and air defense system was not shut down at all.
The Ukrainians are still carrying out about five to 10 missions every day, Pentagon officials said. It’s a small number, but enough to terrify the Russians. Fearing being shot down, including by air defense SAM’s mobile missile systems, Russian bombers fire their precision weapons from Russia to destroy targets hundreds of miles away.
It is also striking that Russia, which has one of the world’s largest air forces, makes no extra effort to paralyze the Ukrainian air force. The air bases have not been massively targeted by a hail of Iskander missiles, which can cause major destruction. As a result, the Russian Air Force has to operate cautiously in Ukrainian airspace. Until this week, only about 200 daily flights were made, a small number for an invasion involving some 190,000 soldiers. In recent days, the Russians have increased the number of missions.
Anxious
‘Russia has committed a major strategic mistake by not carrying out an intensive air campaign against airports, air defense assets and command centers’, says former fighter pilot Frans Osinga, professor of War Studies at Leiden University. “There was only a limited series of attacks and rocket fires. Mobile air defense systems were hardly affected. As long as the runways remain more or less intact and there is fuel, ammunition and maintenance capacity, an airport can continue to operate.’
Leading US Air Force strategist David Deptula believes that the Russians have acted clumsily and therefore have no air superiority now. “It is likely due to a combination of a lack of planning, preparation and training on the part of the Russian Air Force and the tenacity, dedication and effectiveness of the Ukrainian Air Force,” said Deptula, who led the air war against Iraq in 1991 and Afghanistan. planned in 2001.
Take off from highways
Deptula believes that the West should support Kyiv by sending additional MiG-29s to continue the fight against the Russians. “The Russians are afraid of our air defenses,” another fighter pilot told CNN on Monday. “They can’t fly quietly here.”
Juice, the pilot’s name given to him by American colleagues, was on standby at the time of the interview. “As soon as I get information from my colleagues in the radar units, I take off and intercept the danger. But we need more fighters to regain air superiority and fight effectively.’
Osinga says the Ukrainian Air Force’s good preparation for the Russian invasion has also helped keep them operational. “Airplanes were scattered over several airports,” he says. He also praises the inventiveness of the Ukrainians.
Osinga: ‘Motorways are used as runways. The mobile SAM systems are also smartly deployed. They sporadically turn on their radar, which can be dangerous because you give away your position. Then missiles are fired at the Russian planes. After this, the radar is immediately turned off again and they move.’