Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) air defense units had one of their most successful days yet in Kyiv’s almost month-long defense against Russian Federation invasion, an air defense command spokesman said in a Wednesday, March 23, statement.
Ukrainian air defense units, jet interceptor pilots and even infantry armed with short-range missiles teamed up on Tuesday to knock down RF air force aircraft including five combat jets, one helicopter, four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and one ballistic missile, said air force spokesman Yury Ihnat. If accurate, the kill count would mark Ukraine’s most successful day at air defense, since the beginning of the war.
KP was not able to confirm the UAF claim independently. Social media and independent media reports offered possible partial confirmation with images of aircraft debris and in one case a video of a purported shoot-down, from sites across the country. Western defense agencies like the Pentagon have said RF forces have been steadily losing aircraft against tenacious Ukrainian air defenses, but, suggested UAF kill counts are possibly over-optimistic.
According to Ihnat, the UAF has managed to keep its defenses functional against the massively larger RF air force by using ambush tactics designed to lure RF fliers and unmanned aircraft into air defense traps combining jet fighters in the air and a mix of anti-aircraft missiles and guns on the ground.
The Kremlin following the stall out of a planned blitzkrieg attack to take over Ukraine has increasingly used its air force to target civilian homes and businesses, apparently with the hope that such attacks will break Ukrainian will to resist.
Ukraine has repeatedly appealed to NATO and NATO states for air defense assistance which Kyiv says is critically needed to protect major Ukrainian cities from RF air force bombardment. In the second week of the war the US vetoed a Polish initiative to turn 30 Soviet-era MiG fighter jets over to the Ukrainians, citing fears the transfer might anger Moscow.
Last week NATO states promised to deliver Ukraine Soviet-era anti-aircraft systems, but, thus far the only actual air defense assistance independent media has confirmed the Ukrainians have put into combat are very short-range hand-held missiles dangerous to RF helicopters, but almost useless against bombers and missiles.
Two weeks ago London announced it would send sophisticated Sky Sabre anti-aircraft missiles and radars to Kyiv, but, as yet no reports or official statements have surfaced confirming the systems have actually reached battle lines in Ukraine.
According to Army General Staff estimates made public on Wednesday morning, since the war began UAF units have destroyed 101 combat jets, 124 helicopters and 42 UAVs. The totals include equipment destroyed on the ground.
