One of the unanswered questions in Russia’s war against Ukraine is the level of wearas experienced by the Ukrainian army. According to the Guardian, citing a US defense official, there are about 56 fighters left in the Ukrainian air force after almost three weeks of fighting.
“While Ukraine started the war with just under 100 fighter jets, “A simple removal may not tell the whole story, with some of these aircraft likely to be out of service, for one reason or another, with the issue of maintenance being a historic problem for Kyiv.” Even so, the number suggests, at first glance, not insignificant losses for Ukraine, although the remaining number of aircraft indicates that Russia’s early claim that it had “neutralized” the Ukrainian air force and air defense was largely untrue. It could also explain in some way the renewed Russian effort to hit Ukraine’s airports in recent days.
For their part, Western officials told the BBC that Russia had about 20 generals in Ukraine – three of whom had been killed since the invasion began on February 24. By comparison, three Russian generals were killed throughout the conflict in Syria.
Western officials commented that this indicated that senior officers were trying to “lead from the front”, either out of a lack of “awareness of the situation” or because their soldiers were afraid to move forward.
Western officials believe that the US estimate that in Ukraine they have been killed 5,000 to 6,000 Russian soldiers is generally correct.
“Russian forces continue to make limited progress with ongoing problems with logistics and supplies – and continue to face fierce Ukrainian resistance,” they said. Anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, including those supplied by the West, were used with great success, they said.
“The Russian air force has also failed to gain control of the air “he added.
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