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

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

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

Aviation experts have blamed Ukraine's Wester-supplied anti-aircraft missiles like the Stinger and Igla which they say is a major threat to the Russian pilots flying above in Kyiv's skies. And therefore, the VKS, the 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 their fighter jets in the lethal envelope of shoulder-fired man-portable air defence systems [MANPADs].

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

Su 25 crashed by MANPAD. 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 had signed under the Wagner military contractor. He was using commercial GPS devices, rather than Russian military navigation equipment. This indicates that Wagner's fighter aircraft are older models of the Su-25 and that the 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 had a "very limited campaign success” owing to its strategy of avoiding penetrating forward inside the Ukrainian borders, the UK defence ministry has learned. Some of the 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, rather than to develop dynamic initiative amongst aircrews,” the 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 the "institutional culture and skill-sets required for its personnel to meet Russia's aspiration of delivering a more Western-style modern air campaign,” the British intelligence stressed. Russia’s ground troops, similarly, are becoming increasingly exhausted; and Russian troops’ cruise missiles “are running low” in the 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 the eastern Donbass region. RAF also incurred significant aircraft and pilot losses during the air-warfare, also suffering shortage of precision-guided munitions, according to UK intelligence. 

Credit: Vadim 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 the Strela, Igla and Stinger. Russia’s aircraft have been shot down by MANPADS, the longer-ranged air-defence systems such as the S-300, Tor, Osa and Tunguska. Since the invasion, Ukraine’s military claims it has destroyed Russian fixed-wing aircraft, Su-25, Su-30, and Su-34 fighter jets as well as the 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/@visegrad24

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