In the last two weeks of February, Russian aviation suffered the loss of 13 military aircraft, mostly Su-34 front-line bombers. What explains the sharp increase in losses of Russian military aviation?
Although the Ukrainian army had previously also struck Russian military aircraft, for example, by shooting down a very valuable A-50 reconnaissance aircraft in mid-January and knocking out an Il-22 air command post over the Sea of Azov, from February 17 to 29 alone, 13 more Russian military aircraft were shot down, including ten Su-34 front-line fighter-bombers and one A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft.
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London, Russia has about 300 different Sukhoi fighters. This suggests that the loss of 13 aircraft in just two weeks, and possibly some highly skilled pilots, is not insignificant for Russian forces, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Although Russia itself usually does not admit the loss of combat aircraft, even if footage appears online confirming this, Ukraine does not always officially publish evidence of the destruction of aircraft.
Fourth-generation Su-34 front-line bombers have recently been actively used to drop guided aerial bombs (GABs). These powerful bombs were used by Russian forces, in particular, to drop on Avdiivka, which they recently captured.
According to Yuriy Ignat, the spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, such bombings have become one of the main threats to Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in front-line areas.
Now Ukraine needs modern fighter jets to counter Russian aircraft.
