The Russian air force has reportedly significantly scaled back its activity in southern Ukraine after the Ukrainian army shot down three Su-34s fighter jets over the past few days, the Institute For the Study of War reported over the weekend.
This includes the decreased use of glide bomb strikes, a tactic that enables Russian aircraft to remain 50 to 70 kilometers behind the line of combat engagement. The reduced use of the strikes suggests Russian forces are very concerned about Ukrainian air defense capabilities, and a sign they are becoming extra cautious.
This new situation may present an opportunity for Ukrainian forces to operate more freely in these areas. They could, for example, establish more forward positions from which to conduct more aggressive operations.
Specifically, a letup in the number of strikes by the Russian air force could allow Ukraine to firm up its control in the Kherson region, including on the east bank of the Dnipro River where it now has a small foothold following a number of daring raids.
The downing of three Russian aircraft in such a short time marks a greatly improved success rate for Ukraine, according to Business Insider. Kyiv has said it usually destroys that number of Russian jets in a week, and that this was a "brilliantly planned operation" on the part of the Ukrainian air force.
It is not entirely clear how the Ukrainians managed to mount such successful attacks, but analysts said Ukrainian forces may have been able to make use of a Patriot missile system supplied by the West.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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