Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson: Russia has about 1,500 warplanes

Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"The planes are different - there are military transport planes, there are strategic fighters, fighter jets, attack aircraft and others. What is destroyed on the ground is also taken into account. Do you remember how many helicopters were struck at Chornobaivka at the same time? Russia has a lot of aircraft. There are approximately 1,500 combat aircraft throughout Russia, and there are some obsolete ones in storage. They also have enough helicopters. Even if about 300 out of 1,500 were destroyed, this is a serious percentage. You see the destruction of their aircraft every day," Ihnat said.

He also noted that Russia supplies new planes every year, but there are not as many of them as experts boast.

"For example, four Su-30SM aircraft and several Su-34 aircraft were delivered last year. It's not as much as they pathetically claim. But, as you can see, we also destroyed a lot," Ihnat said.

When asked about the wear and tear of the enemy's aircraft fleet, Ihnat said that it should not be counted on, because Russia has factories that can refurbish old aircraft. As for the cases when Russian planes "lose" missiles and bombs even on Russian territory, it may be due to the inaccuracy" of the pilots or some technical factors, Ihnat said.

Early on February 17, the Ukrainian Air Force destroyed two Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers and a Su-35 fighter on the eastern axis.

On February 19, also on the eastern axis, Ukrainian defenders shot down two more enemy warplanes. According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukrainian forces struck a Su-34 fighter-bomber and a Su-35S fighter that attacked the positions of Ukrainian troops with guided aerial bombs.

On February 21, the Ukrainian Air Force destroyed one more Su-34 fighter-bomber.

Photo: Yurii Ihnat / Facebook