Ukraine’s Air Power May Be Weakened by Russian Moves
A Ukrainian military expert believes that Russia will have to reduce the use of its frontline aviation. This is because Ukraine has been given permission to launch missiles into Russian territory.
Pavlo Narozhnyi, a military expert and founder of a charity organization, says that Russia’s aircraft will need to be moved away from Ukraine. If they are moved too far, their ability to carry out missions will decrease.
According to Narozhnyi, Russian forces can currently conduct 60-65 air sorties each day. They drop around 100-120 guided bombs during these missions. However, if the aircraft are moved more than 300 kilometers away, this number could drop by 30-40%.
This is because longer flights will wear out engines faster and make pilots tired. This can lead to mistakes being made.
Narozhnyi also pointed out that even if Ukraine does not launch any missiles at Russian airfields, Russia will still need to move its aircraft away from Ukraine’s borders. This means that Russia’s ability to carry out missions will be weakened.
The expert believes that Russia might relocate some of its fighter jets and helicopters equipped with anti–tank systems. However, these planes will have reduced capabilities because they often cannot fly too far from their starting points.
Ukraine has already used the new permission it was given by launching a missile attack on a Russian military site in Bryansk Oblast.