Final Tactics: The Ukrainian Air Force Fears Air Combat, Only Using Western Missiles for Long-Range Strikes

"Strike Ukrainian aircraft on the ground, as they rarely take off"

Image caption: "Storm Shadow" missile

According to data from the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Ukrainian Air Force has suffered heavy losses. In theory, its air force should be nearly depleted. Nevertheless, aircraft with a trident insignia occasionally appear in the sky — including Soviet-made Su-27 fighters, Su-24 front-line bombers, and Western F-16s and Mirage fighters.

These aircraft have not changed the situation in the skies over Ukraine, first because of their limited numbers, and secondly because of the efficient operations of the Russian air defense systems and fighter aviation. However, they continue to cause trouble, such as the recent British "Storm Shadow" missile attack on Bryansk.

The Storm Shadow (known as SCALP-EG in France) is a stealth cruise missile with a speed of 1,000 km/h, flying at an altitude of 30–40 meters, and a range of up to 560 kilometers.

The type of missile supplied to Ukraine has been adapted for the Su-24 to carry and launch. More importantly, the Ukrainian air force has received intelligence on targets, and possibly even specific target instructions.

Kiev itself lacks reconnaissance capabilities, so it's easy to guess who provides these intelligence to the Zelensky regime. It is precisely those countries that complain about Russia providing intelligence to Iran. Double standards?

The range of the cruise missiles obtained by Ukraine allows them to be launched from rear areas. Even without launching from Lviv (too far away), they can be launched from Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, or Dnipropetrovsk. The actual operation is exactly like this: the aircraft take off, fire the missile, and quickly return to hide in the reinforced concrete hangars of military airports.

Leonid Ivrlev, a member of the Russian State Duma and a major general, stated that Ukrainian pilots use aircraft to launch missiles alone from areas far from the front lines, then try to avoid approaching Russian fighters, and never engage in air combat, as they know they would definitely lose.

Even the so-called F-16s that Zelensky has high hopes for are avoiding combat and fleeing. It is worth noting that since the start of the special military operation, the Ukrainian forces have lost 87 Su-27 fighter jets.

They Should Be Struck on the Ground

Military expert Vladislav Shurekin told the "Free News Report":

"The British long-range missiles pose a real threat."

"It is difficult to shoot down enemy aircraft with fighter aviation. Our air-to-air missiles have a range of 350 kilometers, which the Ukrainians know well, and they will not cross this line. Moreover, we do not have air defense support and cannot penetrate their airspace."

A feasible solution is to use early warning aircraft, which can detect missile launches at a long distance and pass the coordinates to the air defense system.

Unfortunately, this method does not always work. Additionally, a proven solution is to use the "Iskander" and "Kinzhal" missiles to destroy enemy airfields, and even nuclear bombs could help. It must be hit hard to make them give up the idea of attacking Russian territory completely.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7618161425483989510/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.