The MiG-29s based at Ivano- Frankivs’k International Airport are tasked with defending the skies over western Ukraine. Vladimir Trendafilovski reports from the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains.
The 114 brihada taktichnoyi aviatsiyi (brTA, tactical aviation brigade) of the Povitryani Syly (PS, Ukrainian Air Force) is unofficially nicknamed the ‘Sokoly Prykarpattya’ (‘Carpathian Falcons’). It has been directly subordinated to Povitryane Komanduvannya ‘Zakhid’ (PvK ‘Zakhid’, Air Command ‘West’) at Lviv since December 2004 and has a total of 50 MiG-29s and two L-39 trainers, distributed between two aviation squadrons.