A recent Russian attack with Iskander ballistic missiles successfully destroyed two Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jets, causing damage to other aircraft nearby. The raid, coordinated by surveillance drones, took place a few days ago at the Myrhorod air base of the Ukrainian Air Force, located in the Poltava Oblast.
As seen in the sequences that went viral on social media, despite the aircraft being dispersed on different platforms of the base, the impacts of the Iskander missiles armed with cluster munitions managed to destroy at least two Ukrainian Su-27 “Flanker” jets. Although the images are not entirely clear, secondary explosions can be seen, and the charred remains of at least one of the Soviet-origin twin-engine jets are distinguishable.
This type of attack using the drone/ballistic missile combination is allowing Russian armed forces to hit high-value Ukrainian targets, such as these Su-27 fighters, train formations, and other aircraft. The most recent case involved a Mi-24 attack helicopter, which reportedly suffered damage following a similar attack with an Iskander missile.
Although the Ukrainian Air Force denied the Russian forces’ claim of destroying several Su-27s at the Myrhorod base, they did confirm the attack and reported suffering losses, without detailing the nature of those losses. Like the Russian Aerospace Forces, Ukraine’s combat aviation is also suffering from the effects of long-range missile attacks, with losses that are undoubtedly irreplaceable given the limited (if not non-existent) possibility of acquiring additional Su-27 fighters.
This attack once again puts the Ukrainian Air Force on alert regarding the constant need to disperse and operate its combat aircraft from areas within the reach of Russian surveillance drones. Both sides have demonstrated the ability of unmanned aerial vehicles to operate deep within their defenses, despite the presence of complex anti-aircraft systems.
Another concern related to this attack is how the Ukrainian Air Force will manage to operate its future fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters, aircraft it hopes to acquire in the near future. It is known that the American-made single-engine jets have certain infrastructure requirements, posing a new challenge for the Ukrainian forces to operate the new fighters safely and avoid exposure to similar attacks.
According to open-source analysis portals, such as Oryx, the Ukrainian Air Force has lost at least 16 Su-27 Flanker fighters, suggesting that the stock of this model is likely at its lowest, particularly after the severe blow suffered following the attack on the Myrhorod base.
This complex situation could potentially be resolved with the arrival of F-16 Fighting Falcons from Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and, in the longer term, Belgium. In total, the deliveries committed by these European countries exceed 90 aircraft, some of which will be reserved for training and as a source of spare parts.
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