As the war between Russia and Ukraine presses on through a second month, Vladimir Trendafilovski examines the status of a Ukrainian Air Force that has defied the odds to defend its skies and dealt hard-hitting blows to its invaders.
Under the guise of a ‘special military operation’, Russian ground forces began to advance into Ukraine from the occupied Ukrainian territories of Crimea and Donbas – as well as from Russia proper and Belarus – in the early hours of February 24, 2022. At the same time, aircraft from the Russian Aerospace Forces (RuASF) launched their respective operations in an attempt to establish full air superiority over Ukraine to support their ground troops more effectively.
