"Russia Has 10 Times More Fighter Jets"…Why Ukraine's Sky Remains Unbreached One Month Into the Invasion

Air Defense Systems and Pilot Aerial Combat Skills Highlighted
Ukraine "Shot Down 97 Russian Fighter Jets"

A Ukrainian Air Force Sukhoi (Su)-27 aircraft is preparing to fly in the Myrhorod area. / Photo by AFP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Despite overwhelming air power superiority, the reason the Russian Air Force has not been able to dominate air superiority during the one month of invasion is analyzed to be due to both the failure to penetrate Ukraine's air defense systems and being outmatched in aerial combat skills of fighter pilots.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 22nd (local time), "One of the most surprising things marking the one-month anniversary of the war that started with Russia's invasion of Ukraine is that Russia has not defeated the Ukrainian Air Force." The Russian Air Force is known to possess more than ten times the number of fighter jets compared to Ukraine.

Additionally, while the Russian Air Force reportedly launches about 200 fighter sorties per day, the number of sorties by Ukrainian fighters is only about 5 to 10.

However, the Ukrainian Air Force claims to have shot down 97 Russian fighter jets despite these circumstances. Although the numbers claimed by Ukraine have not been objectively verified, experts agree that the Russian Air Force has suffered considerable losses.

The Ukrainian Air Force cited an "effective air defense system" as the reason they could perform well even under harsh conditions. Ukraine's surface-to-air missiles pose a significant threat to Russian fighter jets.

Yuri Inat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, explained, "The enemy flying into our airspace is essentially walking into our air defense system on their own."

Russian Sukhoi (Su)-34 shot down in Ukraine. / Photo by AP Yonhap News

Experts also focused on the 'aerial combat' between the fighter jets of both countries over Ukrainian airspace. When the fighter jets detect each other, they launch air-to-air missiles. Since the opponent also fires missiles, evasive maneuvers are necessary to avoid them.

Ukrainian fighter pilot Andriy told the NYT, "To win in aerial combat, you have nothing but skill," adding, "My skills are superior to those of Russian pilots."

This pilot, who flies the Su-27 developed by the former Soviet Union in the 1980s, has shot down opponents in aerial combat against Russian fighter jets.

On the other hand, the Russian Air Force mainly operates newer fighter jets such as the Su-34 and Su-35.

However, experts view the situation as dangerous due to a lack of equipment despite Ukraine's good performance. Currently, the Ukrainian Air Force is known to operate about 55 fighter jets. The number of flyable fighter jets continues to decrease due to being shot down by Russia or mechanical failures.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeatedly requests Western countries to support air force equipment for this reason.

Meanwhile, Poland and Slovakia have considered providing MiG-29 fighter jets, which their air forces used, to Ukraine, but support has not yet been provided.