![]() “We try to maneuver to avoid them and define windows to engage the targets when the risks are the lowest and actually it works,” he explains. Like Pumba, Juice also fears Russian air defenses and Su-35s, but says Ukraine has been able to reduce their effectiveness by adopting new tactics. “I believe it could be a real game changer for the counter-offensive and for the entire war, because the F-16 is capable of doing a lot of crucial work for our forces, for our resistance.” ![]() “Our counteroffensive could be much more effective and much safer for our guys on the ground ,” Juice says. Despite first entering production in the 1980s, it has gone through several upgrades, making it more advanced and versatile that any jet Ukraine currently has in its fleet, and a fierce rival for most Russian aircraft, with the exception of newer models that Moscow has hesitated to deploy in Ukraine. The US-made jet has air-to-air refueling capabilities and is compatible with most NATO weapons already being supplied to Ukraine. ![]() "Juice" says the Ukrainian air force would be much more capable of protecting advancing ground forces if it had better aircraft. A Mig-29 pilot, with the call sign “Juice,” acknowledges the difficulties facing the Ukrainian air force and says Western nations could help by providing Ukraine with the coveted F-16s. In total, Ukraine has received 45 Su-25s and Mig-29s from NATO and allied nations in Europe – but it’s not just a numbers game. “Continuously, all day long, they work either by helicopters or by airplanes,” said the commander, who goes by the call sign “Spas.” “In general, aviation support is sorely lacking.” Still, Spas added grounded forces were making progress nonetheless. “Their aviation works in waves, as it was in Vietnam, Afghanistan,” says a deputy commander in one of the units with the 128 Separate Territorial Defense Brigade said. Russia still maintains air superiority, which makes it difficult for ground forces to advance. One of the main issues Kyiv’s ground forces have faced as the counteroffensive gets underway is Russian air power holding them back. “I think we increase the morale of our ground forces too.” “When we complete mission our guys on the ground send us thank you messages,” Pumba says. Limited in their numbers and reach, they still provide valuable air support. “The main purpose of this aircraft is to support our ground forces at the front,” he explains. With Ukraine now on the offensive, the role of assault aviation airmen like him is more needed than ever. “The biggest battle is a battle with yourself, because you have to find some strength, some force within your soul, your spirit: how do you manage to fly again.”ĭespite the mental strain, Pumba is one of a few dozen pilots still flying for the Ukrainian air force, defying overwhelming odds a year and a half into the war. “When you see the explosion of your colleague in front of your eyes, in real time – it’s a shock,” he says, explaining the struggle doesn’t end there. ![]() The pain of losing those dear to him is a burden he still carries. “I lost my leader and my wingman in combat,” Pumba says. “We lose many aircraft to these interceptors,” says Su-25 pilot Oleksyi, who goes by the callsign “Pumba.” He knows all too well the uphill battle he and his colleagues face, having lost many of his comrades since Russia’s full-scale invasion began a year and a half ago. The Su-25s are ancient aircraft, first introduced in the 1980s, and they’re easy prey for Russia’s Su-35s and their advanced radars and long range missiles. ![]() They seem to hug the ground - flying as low as possible to avoid Russian radars, air defenses and more importantly, enemy jets. The Soviet-era Su-25s glide slowly, loudly, spewing thick black smoke as they go. Two Ukrainian jets roar just above the trees, flying in formation as they make their way towards the front lines of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. ![]()
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