On the eve of receiving F-16 fighter jets, the Ukrainian military is concentrating on striking air defenses of the occupation army of the Russian Federation in order to facilitate the further work of Western fighter jets near the front line.
Points of attention
- Ukrainian military is concentrating on striking Russian air defenses to facilitate the work of Western fighter jets near the front line.
- The new strategy includes using Su-24 and British/French missiles to combat Russian air defense systems before the arrival of F-16 fighters.
- Destruction of Russian air defense systems is prioritized over holding small villages in Donbas as Ukraine prepares for the F-16 introduction.
- Challenges include the vast number of Russian air defense systems and the lack of a definitive plan for introducing the F-16 into combat.
- Despite weaknesses, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are systematically preparing for the arrival of F-16s, focusing on high-precision strikes and specialized operations.
How the Armed Forces prepare the conditions for the further use of the F-16 at the front
According to the analyst of the publication Julian Ropke, during the last time, the Ukrainian military destroyed the Russian air defense system "Buk-M2" and the R-416GM "Granit-M" air defense system.
Before that, the Ukrainian military also carried out attacks on the S-300 and S-400 complexes of the occupation army of the Russian Federation in the territory of Crimea and in other regions.
According to Ryopke, almost daily strikes against Russian air defense are part of Ukraine's new strategy, designed for the arrival of F-16 fighters at the front in the fall or winter. For Kyiv, destroying Russian air defense is now more important than holding small villages in Donbas. If Ukraine has an advantage in the air, they will be able to be released, the article says.
What are the disadvantages of the new strategy of the Armed Forces in anticipation of the F-16
According to Niko Lange, an explorer of the operational staff of the German Ministry of Defense, Ukraine is systematically and thoroughly preparing its own Su-24s for the use of British and French long-range Storm Shadow/SKALP missiles.
To do this, it uses sabotage and special operations, as well as high-precision weapons to destroy Russian radars, air surveillance systems and air defense.
At the same time, Röpke points out the weaknesses of the new strategy of the Armed Forces.
First, Russia has hundreds of air defense systems. At the moment, a maximum of a third of them have been destroyed. Secondly, there is still no final deadline and plan for introducing the F-16 into combat, the analyst warns
