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| A U.S. Boeing B-52 bomber (top) flies with a Ukrainian MiG-29 over Ukraine in August 2020. |
International Military - Since February 24, when Russia deployed military operations specifically to Ukraine, their air strikes have proved ineffective against Ukraine. Ukraine, which has less weapons than Putin's troops, managed to ward off a number of incoming attacks.
However, it is undeniable that Russian air strikes are very powerful and have the potential to flatten Ukraine in an instant. Therefore, Ukraine said that it urgently needed an immediate supply of fighter planes to end the war.
Quoted from the Kyiv Independent, here are the reasons why Ukraine desperately needs air power.
1. Russian Air Force has 10 times bigger fleet than Ukraine
In comparison, Russia has more than 4,000 total military air fleets, while Ukraine only has 300. This includes Russia having 1,500 and Ukraine only 100 helicopters, 800 against 70 warplanes and 700 ground attack aircraft against only 30.
The Russian air fleet consists of many fourth-generation fighters, even those that have been upgraded or upgraded in recent years. Call it, the Su-35, Su-27, Su-30, MiG-29, and MiG-31.
Ukraine's smaller air fleet is aging, such as the MiG-29 designed in the 1970s, the Su-24 from the 1960s and the Su-25 since the 1970s.
2. Su-25 from Western allies
The United States agreed to upgrade Ukraine's air fleet with Su-25 fighters. Quoted from Defense View, the number of Su-25s in Ukraine before the war was only 10 units. And that number skyrocketed thanks to US assistance asking Bulgaria or Georgia to supply the warplanes.
On April 19, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that Ukraine had received "spare parts" from partner countries. The spare parts are believed to increase the number of fighters in Ukraine to operate.
And in just two days, or on April 21, Defense View reported that the spare parts managed to increase the number of Ukrainian Su-25s to 20 units. This support from Western allies has boosted Ukraine's air capabilities and its military in general. Such as the attacks on the town of Bucha in Kyiv Oblast and elsewhere.