Fighter plane of the Ukrainian Air Force took off during an exercise in the Nikolaev region of southern Ukraine, November 23, 2021. Command of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces / Distribution via REUTERS / File photo
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WASHINGTON, March 4 – Ukraine still has a “significant majority” of its military planes nine days after Russian forces began invading the country, a U.S. defense official said on Friday.
Significantly ahead of the Russian military in terms of raw numbers and firepower, the fact that Ukraine’s own air force is still flying and its air defense is still considered viable, military experts said. Read more
“Ukrainians still have a significant majority of their air power, both fixed and rotary wings, as well as unmanned and ground-to-air systems,” said the official, who requested anonymity.
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The official added that the Ukrainian planes had suffered some losses, including those destroyed by Russian forces, but did not give details.
After the start of the war on February 24, analysts expected the Russian military to try to destroy Ukraine’s air force and air defenses immediately.
Russia has fired more than 500 missiles at Ukrainian targets since the invasion, but is still flying through the disputed airspace.
Ukrainian ground-to-air missiles are capable of threatening Russian planes and posing a risk to Russian pilots trying to support ground forces.
Ukraine’s ability to continue flying air force planes is a visible demonstration of the country’s resilience to attack and has boosted the morale of both its own military and the people of Ukraine, experts say.
‘ANSWERS ON THE PHONE’
The Pentagon has set up a new hotline with the Russian Ministry of Defense to prevent “miscalculations, military incidents and escalation” in the region as the Russian invasion of Ukraine progresses.
The Deconflict Hotline will be an open telephone line based at European Command Headquarters and will report to Air Force General Todd Walters, who commands all US forces on the continent.
“In our initial test (the Russians) answered the phone,” the official said.
Russian troops were still about 25 km (16 miles) from the center of Kyiv, almost unchanged over the past few days.
The official compared the Odessa scenario to Russia’s attack around Mariupol, where they used a landing attack on the southwest with the help of naval infantry and also descended from the north with ground forces from Donetsk.
“So you can see a scenario where this is a game like this,” the official said.
The United States cannot refute reports that Russian forces control the port city of Kherson, the official said, but added that the United States could not confirm the takeover.
Tanks have entered Kherson, the provincial capital with about 250,000 people, and Russian forces have occupied the regional administration building, District Governor Gennady Laguta said in an online post Thursday.
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Report by Phil Stewart and Idris Ali; edited by Jonathan Oatis
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