To lure the Ukrainian plane into a position where it can be ambushed by Russian warplanes, a Russian plane will be employed as a decoy.
“The Russians are always adjusting their strategy. Nothing in this conflict is definite. traps are set. They despatched a plane, deceiving the Ukrainian pilot into believing there was just one, then two or three. On either side of the Ukrainian plane, more people will start to appear “Vadym Voroshylov, a major in the Ukrainian Air Force, spoke to the Telegraph over the weekend.
He claimed that this is the reason Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged his Western allies and partners to assist him in acquiring more advanced fighter jets and air defence systems.
While Ukrainian pilots continue to operate Soviet-era MiG-29 aircraft, Voroshylov claims they are only able to “keep the battlefield.” It is especially harder to defeat Russian forces when they are equipped with contemporary air superiority fighters like the Sukhoi Su-35 and the Su-34 bomber.
“With the aid of F-16s, we can control the airspace, the sea, and defend the army, but at the moment we can only hold off the enemy. More contemporary fighters are required than the opposition “Mr. Voroshylov stressed.
From the outbreak of the conflict with Russia more than a year ago, the Ukrainian military has mostly employed troops from the former Soviet Union. Kyiv has urged the West to deliver fighter jets in accordance with NATO standards so that it can achieve air superiority.
At the end of February, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Colin Kahl stated: “Ukraine has asked us to send 128 fourth-generation aircraft, including F-15, F-16, and F-18. On February 20, President Zelensky and his US colleague Joe Biden met in Kiev to discuss this matter.
However, the government of US President Joe Biden has thus far declined this offer, giving a number of justifications, including difficult operation and maintenance procedures. According to experts, the fundamental reason Washington and its allies continue to be hesitant to provide Kyiv with contemporary fighters is the worry of coming into direct conflict with Russia.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin stated last week during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee: “These planes are not aiding them in the current conflict.
Recent weeks have seen the shipment of Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine by a number of NATO member states in Eastern Europe, with the West promising to supply more contemporary types for future deployments. However, several of the MiGs that Slovenia and Poland provided were just for spare parts.
The UK’s commitment to assisting in training Ukrainian pilots to operate aircraft in accordance with NATO standards is the most obvious indication that the West will soon send modern fighter jets to Kiev, according to experts.
