Ukraine calls for more help to defend against air attacks. A NATO commander has now assessed the state of the Russian Air Force more precisely.
Kiev/Moscow - The air force is critical for Russia in the war against Ukraine: the military has been bombing the Ukrainian energy supply for over three weeks, putting the country in distress. On Monday, President Zelenskyj again called for support for air defense and emphasized that it was now clear that not all facilities could be protected from Russia's attacks. According to Ukrainian authorities, the Russian military has lost 347 aircraft so far. The head of the United States European Command and NATO commander Christopher Cavoli has specified what this number means for Russia's general capabilities.
In more than two years of war in Ukraine, the country has only lost about a tenth of its aircraft, Cavoli told
the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, according to
Newsweek
. In other areas, no capacity was lost for the military. This would include strategic forces, space capabilities and long-range aircraft.
“Ability to adapt to the battlefield” – Russian losses become less significant
In addition, the Russian ground forces, which would have to bear the brunt of the war, would be rebuilt much more quickly than previously assumed,
Newsweek
quotes the head of the US European Command. “Perhaps most worrying is that the Russian military has increasingly demonstrated the ability to learn, both tactically and technologically, and to adapt to challenges on the battlefield.” The army has evolved into a learning unit that barely adapts to the “ "chaotic power" that invaded Ukraine two years ago, said Cavoli.
At the same time, Russia often puts its pilots in danger during combat missions by sending them on flights into the Ukrainian air defense zone,
Novaya Gazeta
quotes a Russian military expert as saying. Apart from the Ukrainian sources, Russian sources also confirm that Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft were successfully attacked several times in 2024 alone. This also affects two A-50 reconnaissance aircraft - according to Israeli military observer David Sharp, a catastrophe for Russia. However, Russian aviation losses would be significantly lower than the figures reported by Ukraine.
Russia on the offensive – Ukraine's air defense is overloaded
Ukraine says it is in a difficult situation when it comes to defending itself against the Russian war of aggression. “The situation on the Eastern Front has deteriorated significantly in the last few days,” wrote Commander-in-Chief Olexander Syrskyj on Telegram on Saturday. The Russian troops went on the offensive more strongly after the presidential election. The situation is particularly delicate around the cities of Lyman, Bakhmut and Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
Syrsky has called for the Ukrainian army to be upgraded with high-tech weapons such as drones. Only with technological innovations can it be possible to compensate for the preponderance of the Russian army. Ukraine has been asking its supporters for more help for months. Due to a lack of ammunition and weapons, the country has become increasingly defensive.
Mykhailo Podoljak, adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidential office Andriy Yermak, also spoke
of acute problems in an interview with
The Guardian
. The destruction of infrastructure by Russian drone and missile attacks is due to the fact that the air defense system is overloaded. There is a major deficit, especially when it comes to ammunition for Patriot and Iris-T systems, he admitted.
(ses/dpa)