Russia may regain its dominance in Ukrainian sky, it has "12 times more planes" – ABC News
Russian fourth-generation Su-35 fighter jets are strengthening the "dominance" of the Russian Federation in the combat zone, which can be a worrying change for Ukraine and its partners.
Source: ABC News with references to sources in the Ukrainian government
Details: According to a senior Ukrainian official who spoke to ABC News, newer generation fighter jets are giving Russia "increasing dominance" in the skies over the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine.
It is a potentially worrying shift for the United States and its allies, since Russia’s inability to achieve total air superiority throughout the course of the war has been key to Ukrainian successes on the battlefield, ABC News noted.
In a briefing with journalists last week, a Western official downplayed the concern, stating that Russia's ability to control the skies has been limited by air defence and surface-to-air missiles. "We’re not seeing a huge change in that situation," the official said.
The senior official in Kyiv said Russia had replaced older models of aircraft with its more modern Su-35. According to the official, the Su-35 is equipped "with very effective radar and long-distance rockets", and Russia is using these aircraft to attack Ukrainian jets in the air as well as for ground support operations.
Ukraine "does not have capabilities" to counter this threat, the official added.
"[Russian] air superiority is a real risk," the official said, adding that more air defence systems from the United States and its allies is currently "priority No. 1" for Ukraine.
Two other Ukrainian officials confirmed that Russian dominance of the skies over the combat zone was a top issue, with one official claiming Russia has "12 times more aircraft" than Ukraine.
"This is a problem. What we keep telling the Americans is that in the end, there is no other solution than to give us [Western] fighter jets," one official said.
The Biden administration has so far resisted calls to supply Ukraine with F-16s. Asked if he was open to the idea, President Biden said "no" in January.
The senior Ukrainian official who spoke to ABC News suggested there was now more of an acceptance in Kyiv that US military aid should be focused on other priorities, such as air defence systems and the provision of artillery ammunition.
The official recognised that the supply of modern fighter jets, as well as the missiles to go with them, would require "a huge amount of money" and it could only come from the United States at the expense of other types of military aid.
Retired Col. Steve Ganyard, who is also an ABC News contributor, said he believes Russia’s air superiority may largely come down to numbers. "Sometimes quantity can be better than quality. Being short on aircraft and anti-aircraft systems is putting Ukraine at increasing disadvantage," Ganyard said.
Background:
- Talks on the supply of modern fighter jets are ongoing between Ukraine and NATO countries.
- In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a visit to London, called for Western fighter jets to be provided to Ukraine. UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace stated the UK would not send fighter jets to Ukraine any time soon.
- So far, the partners are ready to transfer only old Soviet-made fighters to Ukraine. Last week, Slovakia said it had transferred the first 4 of 11 Soviet-made MiG fighters to Ukraine. Poland also promised to supply several MiG fighters to Ukraine by the end of April.
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