In 15 days of February, the Armed Forces shot down 15 enemy military aircraft.

The increase in Russian aviation losses is a proven fact.

The New York Times writes about the Russians' new approach to the use of their military aircraft.

"Now the Russians rely more on guided aerial bombs. Due to the active use of anti-aircraft missiles, it was easier for the invaders to take Avdiyivka - because, according to one of the Ukrainian fighters, half-ton bombs can destroy any position, no matter how protected it is. Realizing that this tactic is effective , the Russians decided to use it on the entire front line," the publication writes.

Ukraine does not say what exactly it shoots down the fighters.

However, according to a number of testimonies, one cannot do without the American Patriot air defense system.

First, three planes were shot down near Krynkiv, then Russian fighter jets began to fall in the east.

And the fact that the numbers may be overestimated, in the British Royal Joint Defense Research Institute (RUSI) is called a typical circumstance of air war: if the plane smokes in the air, this does not mean its destruction.

On the other hand, according to the calculations of the same RUSI, the occupiers lost about 160 employees of the Air Force in February alone - and this is a serious blow to the Russian army.

"However, these losses are not stopping the Russians at the moment," says retired Ukrainian colonel Serhiy Grabskyi in a comment to an American publication. 

"As long as the Russians have the strength and means, they will carry out the order, despite the losses," Grabsky is confident.

We will remind:

The Air Force destroyed 13 Russian aircraft in February and continued to do so in March.

However, according to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia has a considerable stockpile of Su-34 fighters, so the occupiers are ready to suffer aircraft losses in order to achieve their goals during offensive operations.

However, the enemy has decided to reduce activity in the sky for the time being.

How many fighters in Russia 

Aviation expert Valery Romanenko told "Espresso" that the Russians have more than 100 Su-34s. 

"Today, the Russians have 120 Su-34s, which we have most actively shot down recently. In particular, out of 10 downed aircraft, 7 were Su-34s. When the Russian Federation began the invasion, they had 140 such aircraft. However, in the two years of the war, they managed to build 16 more Su-34s. Some losses they are unable to compensate for. These are Su-25 attack aircraft, as these aircraft cannot be restored and have not been produced since Soviet times. The Russians were able to increase the number of Su-35 fighters compared to the beginning of the war. Air forces of the Armed Forces shot down 10 Su-35s, and the Russians were able to recover 15 such aircraft," he explained.

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