Russia is ready to lose planes to advance at the front, - ISW
Date: 2024-03-06 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WAR
Russia continues to carry out intensive airstrikes on Ukraine, despite the fact that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have shot down several bombers in recent weeks.
As the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes, the occupiers are willing to lose their combat aircraft if it helps them advance. According to Forbes, Russian Su-34 aircraft, accompanied by Su-35 aircraft, carry out one hundred or more sorties a day to bomb Ukrainian positions at a distance of about 40 kilometers.
At the same time, the New York Times writes that the Russians' "more aggressive" air tactics on the front line have helped the occupiers make recent advances in the east.
Analysts noted that the Russian Air Force maintains a high tempo of air operations in Ukraine and may be willing to accept risks to aircraft, likely because Russian commanders have decided that the positive effects of such air operations outweigh the costs associated with such missions.
The occupiers used glide bombs for tactical effect in capturing Avdiivka in mid-February and are likely attempting to replicate this effect to support ongoing offensive operations on other sectors of the front.
But ISW noted that they could not independently verify Ukrainian reports about the shooting down of Su-34 aircraft in recent weeks.
