Exactly 365 days ago, Russian troops crossed Ukraine's borders, starting a war that even US officials thought would last just 72 hours. The conflict that completes a year this Friday (24) has strongly shaken world geopolitics, changed the way of war and killed an uncountable number of civilians and soldiers.
Air assets have been widely used since the beginning of the “Special Military Operation”, as Moscow calls the invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the two countries together accumulate 265 aircraft, helicopters and combat drones (UCAV) lost or captured in combat. If we add the small (and widely used) reconnaissance drones, that number rises to 517 kills or captures.
Russia
After months of high tension due to the accumulation of thousands of troops on the borders of the neighboring country, the dawn of February 24, 2022 was marked by the speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin, recorded even before the action, but broadcast while Ukraine began to be attacked.
Cruise missile attacks and other precision weapons neutralized several Ukrainian units, but the first hours of the conflict would already make their first victims on the invading side, with the response of Kiev troops, shooting down planes and helicopters of Moscow's armed forces.
Since then, Russia lost 74 planes, 78 helicopters, seven UCAVs and 186 remotely piloted reconnaissance aircraft (ARPs), including units captured, damaged and/or destroyed in non-combat actions.
Video of a Russian Mi-24 helicopter reportedly getting shot down from this morning. https://t.co/iCybV7ZjHW pic.twitter.com/NacZbhNGFS
- Rob Lee (@ RALee85) March 5, 2022
Losses are varied, including more modern vectors like the Ka-52 Alligator and Su-35 Flanker-E, or veterans like the Su-25 Frogfoot attack jets, which we'll talk about in more detail later.
Despite accumulating a significant number of losses, combined with a problematic logistics chain, the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), Army Aviation and airmen from the Wagner Group of mercenaries continue to pose a real and effective threat against the Ukrainian air force and troops on the ground.
Another important factor is the dense air defense, which denies the use of airspace through layers of short-, medium-, and long-range systems. This forces pilots to fly low, which also exposes them to man-portable anti-aircraft missiles (MANPADS). It should be noted, however, that this reality also exists for the Russians, since NATO has been sending increasingly advanced anti-aircraft systems to the Ukrainians.
Ucrania
As the Russian military began its invasion, a number of air bases, anti-aircraft missile (SAM) sites and maintenance buildings in Ukraine became some of the first targets. Many planes were destroyed while still on the ground, while most were saved from attacks.
The aging but capable Ukrainian Air Force (UAF) has responded, with a series of viral videos showing MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets and Su-24 and Su-25 attack jets flying low and armed, hunting the enemy. In the midst of the confusion of conflict, a Urban legend of an Ace of the Ukrainian Air Force also emerged, going even to the big newspapers of the traditional media, but denied only months later.
Happened two days ago at Kurakhovo, #Donetsk Oblast. The MiG-29 of #Ukrainian Air Force armed with AGM-88B HARM missiles & painted in colors of # Ukraine Falcons display team was mixed with a #Russian aircraft & was shot down by #UkrainianArmy. Unfortunately its pilot was killed. pic.twitter.com/hxTNCw5jia
- Babak Taghvaee - The Crisis Watch (@ BabakTaghvaee1) January 8, 2023
Still, the numbers on the blue and yellow side are also considerable. Kiev lost 59 planes, 30 helicopters, 17 UCAVs and 66 ARPs, also adding captured or damaged units.
Although heavily shaken, the UAF continues to fight against an enemy that is numerically and technologically superior, which has 5th generation fighter jets and precision weapons. Ukrainian generals have already acknowledged that the fight for airspace is favorable to Russia, which conducts combat air patrols with planes armed with very long-range missiles, and which operate within the protection of the heavy anti-aircraft umbrella.
# Ukraine: The wreckage of a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter aircraft in a Falcon-style paint scheme- the jet reportedly crashed in #Vinnytsia Oblast yesterday during an AD mission against Russian Shahed-136 drones and cruise missiles. pic.twitter.com/ORocRKQUuV
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) October 13, 2022
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So Kiev has been pleading with the West for the transfer of modern fighters such as the Saab Gripen, F/A-18 Hornet, Mirage 2000 and F-16 Viper. After several months of negotiation, this reality may be closer and closer, with allies signaling positively to these requests.
On the other hand, the MiG-29 and Su-27 were adapted to carry US anti-radiation missiles, which have already accumulated victories over Russian targets. It is possible that soon they will also carry the JDAM smart bombs, included in the latest military aid packages.
most downed plane
Among the data compiled by the portal Oryx, one plane stands out as the most downed model adding up the losses on both sides: the Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot.
The Su-25 was specifically developed for ground attack and close air missions, as a response to the North American A-10 Thunderbolt II, operations expose you to MANPADS, short-range SAMs and barrel anti-aircraft artillery. This is reflected in the number of planes lost/damaged in the conflict: 43, 16 for Ukraine and 27 for Russia.
Anyway, the Grach, as it is called in Russia, is widely recognized for its robustness (as well as the A-10), capable of returning to base even seriously damaged. This is the case of a Russian Frogfoot that landed after being hit by a Ukrainian missile, right in the first months of the war. This was also reinforced at the end of January in an incident in Africa, between Congo and Rwanda.
Other aircraft are also prominent on the list, such as the MiG-29 Fulcrum, the most destroyed aircraft on the Ukrainian side, with 17 vectors (only one more than the Su-25). For Russia, the Su-25 leads the number of kills, while the Su-34 Fullback also draws attention in this regard, with 18 aircraft destroyed. The modern long-range fighter-bomber also fell to the Ukrainian air defense within the first month of the conflict.
Overall, the biggest casualty among Russian aircraft is the attack helicopter. Ka-52 Alligator, with 31 kills. Helicopters in general have been “soft targets” for MANPADS on both sides.
No light to an end
The air war in Eastern Europe brought a series of lessons to the whole world, resulting in the production of news articles and further studies, whether at an amateur or academic/professional level. As the conflict progresses and tactics are updated, the ways in which aerial vectors are used also change. With the possible arrival of new fighter planes in the hands of the Ukrainians, the situation becomes even more worrying.
The latest events do not indicate any resolution to the bloody war between Ukraine and Russia in the short term. In this way, the number of downed aircraft should grow. Sadly, the same goes for innocent lives.
