According to the U.K. Ministry of Defence, Russia may have lost four combat jets in the past ten days.
“Russia has highly likely lost at least four combat jets in Ukraine within the last 10 days, taking its attrition to approximately 55 since the start of the invasion,” the ministry stated on Tuesday, 20 September.
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“There is a realistic possibility that this uptick in losses is partially a result of the Russian Air Force accepting greater risk as it attempts to provide close air support to Russian ground forces under pressure from Ukrainian advances.”
It went on to state that “Russia’s continued lack of air superiority remains one of the most important factors underpinning the fragility of its operational design in Ukraine.”
When Russia launched its attack on Ukraine in February, many US officials expected Moscow to make easy gains on the ground and establish air superiority, however, it largely failed to do so.
The failure of the Russian military was discussed at the Air and Space Forces Association’s annual conference, which brings together senior Air Force officials from around the world.
Ultimately, the Kremlin has seen many of its fighter jets shot down throughout the war.
For instance, back in July, during fierce fighting in the country’s south, Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian fighter jet, an Su-35, close to the city of Nova Kakhovka, according to the Ukrainian defence ministry.
ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November, 24, 2024
The video of the fighter jet crashing to the ground after being shot went viral on social media. It depicts the plane plummeting from the sky, leaving a smoke trail in its wake. As the jet collides with the ground, a massive plume of dark smoke rises into the sky as it explodes on impact.
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