As Airfields, Aircraft Incapacitated, Ukraine Getting Intelligence from NATO AWACS Claims Russia

Ninety percent of Ukrainian military airfields, where the main part of military aviation was based, have been put out of action.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense spokesperson, Major General Igor Konashenkov, “There are practically no trained Ukrainian pilots of the first and second class. Today, only single attempts to sorties by combat aircraft of the Ukrainian air forces are recorded.”

Russian aerospace forces on the ground and in the air destroyed 89 combat aircraft and 57 helicopters, Konashenkov added. According to him, part of the Ukrainian aircraft flew to Romania and does not participate in the battles.
In addition, the RF Armed Forces destroyed more than 90% of the long-range and medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems in service.

Ukraine gets air situation data from Е-3А planes that keep watch in Poland’s air space, Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday. The planes are part NATO’s Airborne Warning and Control System, also known as AWACS, he said.

“The leadership of the Ukrainian armed forces is trying to make up for the lack of information about the air situation by obtaining data at the air force command post in Vinnitsa from E-3A aircraft that are part of NATO’s AWACS system,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the West not to delay the decision on Poland’s transfer of combat aircraft to Ukraine. “There is an official decision of Poland to transfer the planes to the relevant base – the American base. We also have confirmation – we have all heard – that the agreement between the American party and Poland has been reached.”

Reports say that while Poland wants their former Soviet-era MiG-29s to be operated from an American base in Germany by Ukrainian pilots, the US wants them to be operated from Poland for which it has decided to base PATRIOT missiles in Poland to deter Russian aircraft from coming into Polish airspace.