Russian Air Force incurs heavy losses amid war; relying on retired pilots as per UK intel

Owing to heavy losses of fighter pilots in ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russia's defence ministry is now employing retired pilots to operate fighter jets for air combat manoeuvres, UK revealed in its latest Intelligence update.

It cited mounting death toll of Russian fighter pilots as a reason behind  lack of Moscow's show of tremendous air power.

Aviation experts have blamed Ukraine's Wester-supplied anti-aircraft missiles like Stinger and Igla which y say is a major threat to  Russian pilots flying above in Kyiv's skies. And refore,  VKS, acronym for Russia’s Air Force, has been underperforming as it is forced to carefully operate in a risk [averse] style of flying at low altitudes, which puts ir fighter jets in lethal envelope of shoulder-fired man-portable air defence systems [MANPs].

Weighing about 15kg, Man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems [MANPs] can hit a target at  altitudes of up to 4,000 or 5,000 meters destroying  enemy aircraft within an integrated multi-layered air defence structure. United States delivered Ukraine's military an estimated 800 Stingers – a of man-portable air defence system (MANPS). 

Su 25 crashed by MANP. Credit: Twitter/@200_zoka

Credit: Twitter/@200_zoka

A pilot of a Russian Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft was just recently shot down on June 17 and was captured by Ukraine's military forces. He confessed, that he was a Russian Air Force Major who h signed under Wagner military contractor. He was using commercial GPS devices, rar than Russian military navigation equipment. This indicates that Wagner's fighter aircraft are older models of Su-25 and that Russia's Air Force isn't providing Wagner with up-to-date avionics equipment. 

Russia's Su-25 with commercial mounted GPS system. Credit: Twitter/@edward29910100

Moscow’s air power hasn’t been able to "gain full air superiority” and has h a "very limited campaign success” owing to its strategy of avoiding penetrating forward inside Ukrainian borders, UK defence ministry has learned. Some of underlying causes of its difficulties echo those of Russian Ground Forces.  "For years, much of Russia's air combat training has highly likely been heavily scripted and designed to impress senior officials, rar than to develop dynamic initiative amongst aircrews,” British defence ministry said. 

Mi-8 transport helicopter brought down by Ukraine's miliatry forces. Credit: Twitter/@oryxspioenkop

Russian Air Force (RuAF) lost two Su-25 close air support aircrafs. Credit: Twitter/@oryxspioenkop

Russian pilots lack Western-style modern air campaign: UK 

While Moscow’s Air Force has developed "an impressive roster of relatively modern and capable combat jets” it has failed to inculcate "institutional culture and skill-sets required for its personnel to meet Russia's aspiration of delivering a more Western-style modern air campaign,” British intelligence stressed. Russia’s ground troops, similarly, are becoming increasingly exhausted; and Russian troops’ cruise missiles “are running low” in battlefield. 

Earlier in a separate intelligence update, British defense and security think tank RUSI labelled Russia's Air Force as "anemic," as it launched tactical air operations in eastern Donbass region. RAF also incurred significant aircraft and pilot losses during air-warfare, also suffering shortage of precision-guided munitions, according to UK intelligence. 

Credit: Vim Grishankin/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

Russia’s pilots have been flying a slow, and low flight profile to escape Ukraine’s western-supplied man-portable air-defense systems such as Strela, Igla and Stinger. Russia’s aircraft have been shot down by MANPS, longer-ranged air-defence systems such as S-300, Tor, Osa and Tunguska. Since invasion, Ukraine’s military claims it has destroyed Russian fixed-wing aircraft, Su-25, Su-30, and Su-34 fighter jets as well as An-26 transport aircraft with its ground-based air defences.

Piorun missiles donated to Ukraine by Poland shot down Russian Mi-24 helicopter. Credit: twitter/@visegr24

“It’s very likely that Russian Aerospace Forces have modified how y’re conducting operations,” Michael Kofman, director of Russian studies at CNA, a Virginia-based think tank reportedly said. “re is eir attrition in a significant percentage of Ukrainian air defences, or y’re being a lot more careful about how y’re carrying out se sorties” he ded.