Airplanes only shoot from afar: why Russians don’t engage in close air battles

Ukraine destroys stereotypes and amazes the world with its ingenuity. Our military, not having its own fleet, destroys Russian ships and seizes the initiative at sea and, without an advantage in the air, systematically lands enemy aircraft.

So, on February 17, the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces sent one Su-35 fighter and two Su-34 fighter-bombers on an “eternal flight.” On air 24 Channel aviation expert Valery Romanenko suggested when the air war phase will begin.

War in the air

As an aviation expert noted, the downing of Russian Su-34 and Su-35 fighters is a great success for the defenders of the sky.

We are getting, have been getting and will continue to get Russian planes. Unfortunately, Ukraine does not have a large number or range of long-range anti-aircraft weapons. Also, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine still has not received fighter aircraft with at least the same weapons as the Russians. Therefore, our pilots cannot engage in air combat with the enemy,” Romanenko said.

Russian pilots in February – March 2022 believed that they had better training and entered into air combat fights with our planes. Several Russian fighters were shot down in these battles, so from about April – May of the same year, the Russians did not engage in close air combat at all.

Now the Russian invaders only fire R missiles from afar -37 with a range of up to 200 kilometers and no closer. The enemy simply does not give us a chance to engage in air battles with him.

According to an aviation expert, only with the receipt of the F-16 will the intensity of the air war increase and Russian losses in the sky increase .

Transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine: latest news

• Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that Ukraine will receive “at least 24.” They hope to transfer them as soon as possible.
• The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Moscow Region, Kirill Budanov, expects that Western fighters will take to the skies over Ukraine in the spring of 2024.
• The head of the Ukrainian mission to NATO Natalya Galibarenko, commenting on the timing of the transfer of fighters, said that now “everything is going according to plan.”