The Ukraine war has been fought largely on the ground in the past two years, with troops often locked in back-and-forth battles with heavy artillery and drone support.
The countries’ air forces have played second fiddle because of Ukraine’s limited fleet of planes and Russia’s inability to gain the air supremacy it once expected.
But as the Russian military presses on with attacks in the east, its air force has taken on a greater role.
“It’s a costly but quite effective tool that Russia is now using in the war,” said Serhiy Hrabskyi, a retired Ukrainian army colonel.
It was, according to Ukrainian officials, part of a series of successful strikes against the Russian Air Force, in which Ukraine claimed to have shot down 15 planes in as many days.
Persons:
“, ”, Serhiy Hrabskyi
Organizations:
Military, Russian, Ukrainian Army, Russian Air Force
Locations:
Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Avdiivka, Ukrainian