The invaders were not able to achieve aerial supremacy in Ukraine
Ivan Sichen
Since the beginning of the 20th century, aviation has been one of the main attack forces of the armies of most countries of the world. In many cases, it was the aviation who made it possible to win wars. Just remember the events of the Second World War and other wars. In particular, we will mention the consequences of the mass use of assault and bomber aviation by all sides on the front lines, and of strategic aviation — in the deep rear. Russia tried to do the same in its war against Ukraine. All the more so because its aviation in terms of its combat and numerical strength far exceeded ours. However, solely in the opinion of the Russian aggressors. The invaders were never able to achieve aerial supremacy in Ukraine. Moreover, in the course of hostilities, they practically lost their aviation potential.
Russian aviation sometimes is said to be “the largest and best in the world”. Let’s review this issue in more detail. Aviation in Russia does exist. It is currently called the Aerospace Forces. They include several separate commands: Air Force, Long-Range (Strategic) Aviation, Military Transport Aviation, Space Forces and Anti-Missile Defense.
The most interesting for us are the Commands of the Air Force and of the Long-Range (Strategic) Aviation. It is their forces and means that strike at Ukraine. Tactical aviation — in combat zones at the front, and long-range (strategic) aviation — from the Caspian Sea region and Belarus. Therefore, we would like to tell you how numerous that aviation is, and at which airfields it is located.
The Air Force Command of the Russian Armed Forces includes the 4th, 6th, 14th, 11th and 45th Air Force and Air Defense Armies. They are operationally subordinate to the Southern, Western, Central and Eastern Military Districts, as well as the Joint Strategic Command “North” (is also known as the Northern Military District, and actually consists of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Federation with its Coastal Troops).
The headquarters of the first of the mentioned air armies is located in Rostov-on-Don, of the second — in St. Petersburg, of the third — in Yekaterinburg, of the fourth — in Khabarovsk, of the fifth — in Severomorsk, Murmansk region. In total, they include about 20 to 25 fighter, assault and bomber regiments, as well as 10 to 15 helicopter regiments. Before the large-scale war against Ukraine, it consisted of 600–750 Su-24M, Su-25, Su-30SM, Su-34 and Su-35 tactical aircrafts, as well as 300–450 Mi-8, Mi-24, Mi-26, K -52 helicopters.
The Long-Range (Strategic) Aviation Command has only two heavy bomber aviation divisions, namely in Saratov region and in the Far East of Russia. Another regiment is subordinated to the Northern Fleet of Russia. All in all, these are up to 50 Tu-22M3 long-range bombers, as well as 30 Tu-160M strategic bombers and the same number of Tu-95MS.
For comparison: at the beginning of Russia’s large-scale invasion, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine included 5–6 brigades (regiments) of tactical and army aviation. In total: 32 to34 Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters; 24 to 37 Su-25 attack aircrafts; 12 to 14 Su-24 bombers; 40 helicopters of various types; 6 Bayrakar TB2 UAVs.
That is, Russia’s superiority in tactical and army aviation was more than twenty times, and in strategic aviation it was absolute. Because we simply don’t have it now. After the collapse of the USSR, several strategic aviation regiments with all the necessary weapons remained on the territory of Ukraine. However, our government in the 1990s gave them to Russia as payment for gas debts. And some of the aircrafts were simply destroyed.
However, Moscow was unable to effectively realize its aviation potential, which cost it more than a third of its military budget. Despite all the advantage in forces and means, the supremacy of Russian aviation in Ukrainian airspace was never achieved. They also failed to destroy the Air Force and the Air Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Although Russia claimed that it did it back in February-March of 2022. However, even after that, Russian propaganda reports every day about dozens of downed Ukrainian planes and helicopters. What can be said here? Unless we advise the Russians to finally decide whether they destroyed the Ukrainian aviation, or whether Ukrainian aviation remains the strongest in the world. Because no army has the number of aircrafts as the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which were allegedly destroyed by Russia.
As a result, none of the missions of the Russian Aerospace Forces during the war against Ukraine was ever fulfilled. It is common knowledge that there was a failed attempt to land an airborne assault at the airfield in Hostomel, as a starting point for an attack on Kyiv from one of its closest suburbs. The destruction of Russian helicopters over the Kyiv Sea was shown almost live. That is why the elite Airborne Troops of the Russian Armed Forces are currently used as ordinary infantry, and can no longer even be called a separate branch of troops.
By the way, they write that our defense forces have already destroyed about a thousand of Russian pilots. This is more or less true. The crew of a tactical aircraft consists of one or two people, depending on the type. In a helicopter, there are at least three or four crew members. This is how the entire “elite” of the Russian Aerospace Forces was also liquidated.
During the entire war, Russia was not able to conduct in Ukraine not only a single strategic, but a tactical air operation either. Even in the surrounded Mariupol, where the defense forces of Ukraine had no air defense left, the Russian aviation operated with a maximum of pairs of tactical aircrafts and helicopters. Although, in three months of fighting, this did not prevent them from completely destroying the once flourishing city.
Especially as besides the aviation, the city was bombarded with Iskander missiles from land-based operational-tactical complexes, Kalibr missiles from submarines and ships of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, Kh-59 and Kh-22 missiles from long-range (strategic) aircrafts, and also from barrel and jet artillery. Other cities and towns of Ukraine are being shelled in the same way. This causes us losses, but not of a critical and strategic nature, as Russia would like.
The Russian Federation itself does suffer strategic losses. Since the beginning of the war, the defense forces of Ukraine have destroyed about 230 tactical aircrafts and 200 Russian helicopters. Based on the above data, this is from a quarter to a third of the all aviation of the Russian Armed Forces.
The reason for such losses of the Russian Aerospace Forces is well known. Even before the start of the war, Ukraine’s Western partners began supplying us with portable anti-aircraft missile systems en masse. It was they who allowed us to offset Russia’s superiority in aircrafts and helicopters and actually close our sky.
Did Moscow know that we have such weapons? Of course, it did. Because the delivery of MANPADS by US military transport aircrafts was covered by the media. But Russia remains Russia with its ambitions and a stupid confidence in the superiority of its forces. For which it paid. Today, all it is capable of is using single aircrafts and helicopters only on the front line without entering our air defense zone.
The Russian long-range (strategic) aircrafts generally launch their missiles on Ukraine from the Caspian Sea region — a thousand kilometers from us. Where we can’t get them yet. Everyone understands that this is also temporary.
As we have already noted, Russian aviation is being successfully destroyed in our sky by various means of air defense. We already have not just MANPADS, Tunguska, Buk-M, and S-300 systems, but also German Flakpanzers Gepard and similar weapons from other countries.
Lately, the Ukrainians have begun to destroy the Russian aircrafts at their airfields as well. Currently, this opportunity is provided by the American HIMARS systems. However, in addition to them, we also have UAVs and Special Operations Forces.
Attacks on the airfield of the 14th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 6th Air Force and Air Defense Army in the city of Kursk have been carried out since May 2022.
Today, this airfield is practically destroyed and can only be used to a limited extent. A civilian airport still operates there, where Su-30SM fighters take off and land, as sometimes do Il-76 military transport aircrafts. But we believe that this will not last long either. War experience proves that aircrafts on airfields and airfield infrastructure can be “demilitarized” with an ordinary grenade launcher (if you know how to use it correctly).
Next is the Baltimore Airfield in the city of Voronezh, where the 47th Bomber Aviation Regiment of the 6th Air Force and Air Defense Army is deployed. Su-34 front-line bombers are based there. After the start of the war, additional Su-25 assault aircrafts were transferred there from the depths of Russia. They are the ones who are bombing our troops in the north and south of Kharkiv region, as well as peaceful settlements in Chernihiv and Sumy regions. We will get there too.
As we have already got to the airfields: Gvardeyskoe of the 37th Bomber Aviation Regiment, Belbek — of the 38th Fighter Aviation Regiment from the 4th Air Force and Air Defense Army, as well as Saki — of the 43rd Marine Assault Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. All of them are located in the occupied Crimea and were formed after 2014. Mariupol, Mykolaiv and Odesa were bombed from them. To date, they have lost this opportunity, and the remains of the aircrafts have been transferred to airfields in Rostov region and the Krasnodar Territory of Russia.
But even this will not save them. We will get there. By the way, Tu-22M3 long-range bombers, which launch missiles on Ukraine from the Caspian Sea region, are based at the Mozdok Airfield in North Ossetia. It is also not immune to someone’s “smoking carelessly” there.
