The Russian air force has intensified its activity on the Ukraine war’s front line to try to capitalise on the victory at Avdiivka, the eastern city that Moscow’s forces captured last month. After a long period of avoiding threats from Ukrainian air defence, the tactic has proven risky: Kyiv’s forces have shot down several enemy aircraft in recent weeks.
Russia’s air force is in trouble in the skies over Ukraine. In the last two weeks of February, Kyiv said it shot down 14 aircraft, including several Sukhoi Su-34 and Su-35 fighter-bombers. Add the two Beriev A-50 detection and command craft that Kyiv felled a few weeks apart and the toll looks heavier still for Moscow.
