BLUF
The commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, claims that Ukrainian troops have brought down 278 Russian aircraft in the eight months since Russia invaded Ukraine.Summary
This article by David Axe, writing for Forbes, makes the following points:
- That number is likely to be an exaggeration.
- Independent analysts have confirmed the destruction of 184 Russian aircraft.
- The Ukrainians have captured another 73 aircraft, bringing the total to 257 confirmed Russian losses.
- Most of the Russian losses are small drones, which are easier for Russia to replace.
References
Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:
References from the Web:
- NOV 2022 Russia Likely Losing Aircraft Faster Than It Can Replace Them—Newsweek
- NOV 2022 Russian fighter jets can't control the air over Ukraine, and Russia's attack helicopters are paying for it—Business Insider