Russia is creating a new air strike group to strike Ukraine, the British Ministry of Defense said in an assessment on Monday morning.

According to British military intelligence, it is highly likely that Russia is currently creating a new elite strike aircraft group, codenamed “Storm”, which will operate over the territory of Ukraine.

It is likely to include at least a squadron of Su-24 and Su-34 bombers, as well as a squadron of attack helicopters, the British Ministry of Defense said.

The mix of aircraft types suggests that the group’s primary role will be ground strike missions, the Monday morning assessment said.

The creation of such a group indicates that the squadrons of the regular Russian Air Force have fallen behind in the performance of their main tasks – striking the borders of Ukraine, the intelligence reported.

According to Russian media reports cited by British military intelligence, the Russian Ministry of Defense is looking for qualified and motivated pilots, offering high salaries, and is looking for personnel, including retired military personnel.

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