Many observers expected Russia’s air force to blow away Ukraine’s forces in the opening days of the Kremlin’s invasion. Ukraine’s military would be left completely vulnerable as Russian warplanes could pick off targets at whim.⁠

But that hasn’t happened.⁠

More than two months later, Russia has still not established air supremacy over large swaths of Ukraine, despite having the world’s second-largest air force — and a highly advanced one at that. The New York Times reported Monday that, according to the U.S. Defense Department, Ukraine “continues to fly its own fighters and attack jets against Russian troops.”⁠

Russia’s air force has even been timid as Ukraine’s relatively scrappy anti-air defenses remain a formidable threat. NATO countries have done their best to flood Ukraine with man-portable air-defense systems, or MANPADS, like the U.S.-made Stinger missile. The Stinger system can be fired by a single operator, whose missile locks onto aircraft with infrared guidance.⁠

“The Western supplies of MANPAD and other types of air defense systems allowed Ukraine to increase and to improve its capabilities,” said Pavel Luzin, a Russian armed forces expert and contributor at the Jamestown Foundation.⁠

William Alberque, the director of strategy, technology and arms control for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Yahoo News that Ukraine was able to effectively distribute these air defenses so it became too dangerous for Russian combat flights.⁠

Read more at the link in our bio.⁠

✍️: Yahoo News⁠
📷: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP



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16 COMMENTS

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  2. I think it’s clear. Because they haven’t utilized all their power. Max-level of Russian air force is equivalent to all Ukrain destroyed.

  3. My-grandfather WAS ONE OF this soldiers from Finland and fight against the biggest shit country on Earth russia in Finland soldiers eat iron and shit out chains WAR 1939

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