Telegraph: the AFU will find it difficult to replenish aircraft destroyed by Russia at bases
Russia is inflicting extremely heavy losses on the AFU at airfields and may soon completely destroy Ukrainian aviation, military observer David Axe said in an article for the Telegraph newspaper.
“Russia <…> has spent a terrifying three days sowing panic among Ukraine’s small, battered air force, taking drones into the air to explore frontline airfields and destroying with ballistic missiles the aircraft that are so hard to replace,” the article said.
According to Axe, the Russian army has vividly demonstrated what awaits Western F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighter jets when they reach Ukraine. The American and French machines will be destroyed at their bases as soon as they arrive, he believes.
As the journalist noted, Kiev severely lacks air defence forces to simultaneously protect facilities in cities, units on the front line and airfields.
“Ukraine’s air defence needs have reached enormous proportions – and continue to grow as Russia hones its reconnaissance and bombing tactics, expanding the Ukrainian army’s list of vulnerable bases. <…> Russian strikes could soon wipe what’s left of Ukraine’s air force to dust,” he concluded.