On August 27, the American publication The Wall Street Journal...
Artur Rehi@ArturRehi
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Sep 09, 2024
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On August 27, the American publication The Wall Street Journal published an article citing the words of a certain, as is usually the case with Western media, unnamed official. He noted that Ukraine does not receive approval for strikes on Russian territory with ATACMS
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missiles, since the Russian Aerospace Forces have withdrawn 90% of their aircraft deep into the territory, beyond the reach of ballistic missiles. Alexander Kovalenko analyzed whether this is true. This is a lie, which was also voiced on September 5 by Deputy Spokesperson
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for the US Department of Defense Sabrina Singh at a briefing in the Pentagon. All supplied missiles are limited by international rules for the export of missile weapons - 300 km. That is why, when talking about the possibility of using long-range missile weapons of Western
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manufacture on Russian territory, we are talking about a depth of use from the border of 300 kilometers. Currently, 20 air bases are located in the near zone of destruction, which are actively used by the Russian Aerospace Forces. These airbases accommodate both attack and
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multirole helicopters, as well as various types of tactical and assault aviation. Su-34, Su-25 attack aircraft, Su-24 frontline bombers, Su-27, Su-30 fighters, Mi-24/35, Ka-52 helicopters, etc. are regularly used in the airspace of Ukraine and over the temporarily occupied
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territories. According to the performance characteristics, with a normal combat load, the flight range of these aircraft is as follows: Su-25 - 500-650 km; Su-24 - 500-600 km; Su-27 - 450-600 km; Su-30 - 500-1,200 km; Su-34 - 600-1,200 km; Su-35 - up to 1,500 km. These
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figures are average indicators taking into account the flight range of a combat aircraft without a full load of weapons, with a full load, without an external fuel tank and with it. The flight range of helicopters: Mi-24 - 450 km; Mi-35M - 550 km; Ka-52 - 400 - 450 km;
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Mi-28 - 450-550 km. How could Russia drive 90% of its aviation deep into its territory if most of them have an average flight range of 600 km or less? After all, this is, in fact, the distance from the border with Ukraine deep into 300 km - in the round trip mode. Some of
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the Russian fighter aircraft are equipped with receiving booms for in-flight refueling. Such equipment is available on MiG-31 interceptors, Su-30, Su-33 and Su-35 fighters. The only exceptions are some modifications of the Su-27 and MiG-29 aircraft. The Su-24 and Su-34
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bombers are capable of receiving fuel in flight, while the Su-25 attack aircraft are refueled only on the ground. But somehow, these aircraft continue to perform combat missions in the combat zone. Russia mainly uses air tankers for bombers and does not refuel close to the
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border. In the area of Yeysk, Kursk, Voronezh, Morozovsk and so on, air bases continue to be actively used not only for the needs of the ubiquitous Su-34, but also Su-25, Su-24, etc. And if Ukraine had permission to strike all these bases with Western-made missiles, then
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Russia would lose the opportunity to actively use these 90% of aircraft, which it has not withdrawn anywhere. In turn, in the middle zone of destruction, beyond 300 km from the border, Russia has only six airfields that could use Su-34 and Su-35 to strike Ukraine.
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The use of long-range missile weapons on Russian territory would disarm and critically weaken Russian aviation. It would make it as useless as the Russian Black Sea Fleet became useless in the Black Sea, having now turned into a flotilla.
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