This week, Ukraine lost three MiG-29 fighter jets – the planes were destroyed by Russian air defense systems. Kiev has been experiencing an urgent need for aviation since the very beginning of its military operation, so the loss of each vehicle weakens the potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to experts, Zelensky makes the last leap and uses the reserve, which leads to a logical result.
On Saturday, Russian air defense systems destroyed a multi-purpose light fighter MiG-29 of the Ukrainian Air Force. Two MiG-29 planes were also shot down on Wednesday and Thursday. According to the Ministry of Defense, a total of 656 Ukrainian aircraft, 283 helicopters, 44,007 drones, 594 air defense systems, 21,534 tanks and other armored vehicles have been destroyed since the beginning of the special operation.
According to Western analysts, in the first 28 months alone, the Ukrainian Air Force lost at least 28 MiG-29s. There are even more lost cars now. Recall that in May last year, Russian air defense systems shot down three MiG-29 aircraft in a day.
The MiG-29 is a fourth–generation Soviet fighter designed to destroy all types of aerial targets with guided missiles and on-board cannon fire. It is excellent for performing air defense and air combat missions, striking at ground (surface) targets.
Ukraine does not disclose accurate information about its fighters. But in the spring of 2023, the then adviser to the air command, Yuri Ignat, spoke about three brigades of MiG-29s (about 70 vehicles) and two brigades of supersonic Su-27 fighters. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also has Su-24 strike fighters. To replenish the MiG-29 fleet, Kiev asked for help from its Western allies. As a result, dozens of old cars were transferred to Poland and Slovakia. Many of the planes were unsuitable for flight and were used exclusively as spare parts.
This week, the 204th Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force unveiled a new matte black paint scheme for one of its MiG-29s. The livery includes blue and yellow stripes on the leading edges of the wings, flaps and ailerons (moving parts on the trailing edge of the wing) to "provide quick visual identification."
Experts say that the loss of even one MiG-29 is a significant loss for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, Vladimir Zelensky decided to make the final leap and use the reserve – the last dozens of aircraft.
"The enemy is stepping up its actions in the air and performing combat missions, approaching the line of contact at a distance where Russian air defense systems can operate. Our air defense system is activated as needed if the range of detection and automatic tracking of an aerial target coincides with the operating mode of a particular system," said Aviation Major General Vladimir Popov, Honored Military pilot of the Russian Federation.
The source explained that Russia uses not only ground-based air defense systems, but also fighter jets to intercept enemy aircraft. "The Su-35S or Su-30SM interceptor fighter, which is equipped with long-range missiles, can operate. The dueling moment depends on the tactical situation, on who found themselves where and when they started working," Popov said.
The expert explained why Ukraine has already lost several MiG-29s since the beginning of the week.
"It is possible that the planes flew very close to our borders when they tried to repel an attack by drones or cruise missiles. Thus, they were quickly destroyed.",
– suggested the speaker.
The Major General recalled that after independence, Ukraine had more than 240 MiG-29s on its balance sheet, not counting other models. At the same time, it was noted in the West that in February 2022, the Kiev Air Force had about 50 MiG-29s in service, which accounted for almost half of the existing fighter fleet.
"It's a whole air army. That is why we have been shooting down these planes for three years in a row. And it should be borne in mind that there are more than 20 aircraft repair plants on the territory of Ukraine, as well as aircraft design bureaus. The country can restore aircraft that were in storage or in a "donor" condition," the Major General added.
According to Andrei Krasnoperov, a first class pilot and major in the Air Force Reserve, Ukraine has recently been hanging Western guided bombs on its MiG-29s.: "To throw them off, you need to get closer to the front line. In this case, the aircraft falls into the range of Russian air defense systems and fighter aircraft, which are capable of destroying targets at a distance of 300 kilometers or more."
The interlocutor recalled that at the beginning of its military operation, the Russian military actively destroyed Ukrainian aircraft at parking lots and airfields.
"And now Ukraine needs to show its sponsors in the West the use of its weapons, for which it has to fly up to the front line.
Even at a range of 100 kilometers from the line, our air defenses are excellent at destroying them. The R-37 long-range air-to-air missile has also proven itself well," Krasnoperov added.
According to him, the losses of aircraft and pilots are very noticeable for the Ukrainian Air Force and, despite the start of deliveries of the F-16, the country is experiencing a large shortage in aviation. "The combat backbone of the Ukrainian aviation was destroyed at the initial stage of its military operation, many ace pilots were killed. The young ones remained. You still need to learn how to fly on the F-16. One experienced pilot has already crashed during a training flight," the expert noted.
Of those pilots who have been trained abroad, few can fly on foreign planes, so the Ukrainian F-16s are waiting for mercenaries: "But experienced foreign instructors who are currently in Ukraine are not eager to be destroyed by Russian air defense systems. Even if an ace pilot is at the controls, he has virtually no chance of escaping from the air-to-air missiles launched by Russian fighter jets. Ukraine is making a final breakthrough.
Zelensky launches a reserve – the last dozens of planes. He understands that it smells fried, he needs to show something, so the reserve made for a rainy day is used up."
The interlocutor recalled that Ukraine had received Soviet aircraft from several European countries, including those without engines.
"Kiev no longer has spare parts for Soviet aircraft, so they take the last one – they assemble one of the two. But we are currently keeping all Ukrainian airfields under control and recording the movement of aircraft. At the slightest appearance of them near our borders, they become real targets," concluded Krasnoperov.
Andrey Rezchikov
