According to a representative of the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia did not use its two best military planes in the skies over Ukraine, but flew its old planes.

Colonel Yuriy Ignat said in an interview with the National Security Council that Russia has never used its Su-57 and Su-75 fighters over the territory of Ukraine.

Moscow says that these are flying missions, Kyiv denies this

“Several times their press reported that (the two planes) were already demonstrating something at the front, that they were dropping bombs, missiles somewhere… The Air Force of Ukraine, however, did not register the use of these planes in air attacks. against Ukraine,” Ignat added in an interview with Ukrinform.

The colonel could not rule out that Russia would use two of its best long-range fighters, possibly bypassing Ukraine’s air defense systems.

Ignat went on to explain that the Russian Air Force likes to focus on using its old aircraft, which, according to him, are superior to Ukrainian ones both technologically and numerically.

Su-57 Felon was probably used

While it is difficult to know whether Russia has used Su-57s and Su-75s in the fight against Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defense says they have carried out some missions.

On January 9, the British Ministry of Defense said in its daily intelligence that Russia “almost certainly” carried out missions against Ukraine using the Su-57 Felon.

Su-57 Photo: Artem Oleksandrovych-Stoktrek Image / Album / Profimedia

“These missions were probably limited to flights over the territory of Russia, the launch of long-range air-to-ground or air-to-air missiles over Ukraine,” the Ministry of Defense reported.

British intelligence cited “commercial images” of five Su-57s stationed at the air base in Akhtubinsk as evidence of their possible use in “operations against Ukraine.”

Russia’s strategy: preservation of reputation

In the current technological age, Russia is likely to prioritize avoiding the reputational damage, reduced export prospects and compromise of sensitive technology that could result from the loss of its aircraft over Ukraine, according to an analysis by the UK Ministry of Defence.

This reflects their typical air approach, which is characterized by risk aversion when using air power in wartime.

Analyst: Extreme caution on all aircraft

According to Justin Bronk, a senior air force researcher at the Royal Joint Services Institute in London, Russia is avoiding sending its best warplanes on missions over Ukraine because of the information its enemies can glean from the wreckage of the downed plane.

According to him, these partners “would definitely be very interested in learning more” about some of the aircraft’s unique features. In particular, he singled out the “innovative location of the radar” as particularly interesting.

“Extremely cautious with the entire fleet of fighters, but despite that, they continue to suffer constant losses,” Bronk told Insider.

“Thus, the fear of incurring losses that could compromise the technology has forced the Russians to be very cautious in all aspects,” he added.

Su-57 aircraft over the Kremlin Photo: Kyrylo Kallinikov / Sputnik / Profimedia

Poor coordination with ground forces

Military experts have noted evidence that the Russian air force is not coordinating properly with ground forces, and several Russian convoys have been moved forward beyond the coverage area of ​​their own air defense system.

David Deptula, a retired US Air Force general who previously commanded the no-fly zone over northern Iraq, told Reuters he was surprised Russia did not make more of an effort to gain air dominance from the start.

“The Russians are finding that coordinating multi-domain operations is not easy,” Deptula told Reuters. “And that they’re not as good as they thought.”

While the Russians have performed below expectations, the Ukrainian military has so far exceeded expectations, writes Al Jazeera.

Experts say that Ukraine’s ability to continue operating fighter jets is clear evidence of the country’s resilience in the face of attack and has boosted the morale of both its military forces and the population of Ukraine.

Sources: Ukrainform, Insider, Reuters, Al Jazeera