Ukraine had a good opportunity to destroy more than 10 Russian Air Force Su-34 aircraft at once

Due to the US ban on using long-range weapons on Russian territory, Ukraine has lost a unique chance to destroy a large number of Su-34 aircraft. Back at the beginning of the summer, Kiev repeatedly asked Washington to give the go-ahead to strike Russian military airfields with American long-range weapons, Forbes reports. Since the West refused to give the go-ahead, Kyiv used weapons of its own production to strike at Russian territory.

Most recently, on the night of August 3, Kyiv used drones to attack the Morozovsk military airfield. Ukrainian intelligence reported one destroyed Su-34 and two more damaged aircraft. Ukraine is trying with all its might to destroy the Su-34s, which carry KABs. The Russian Federation also understands this very well and is trying to relocate most of its aircraft to distant airfields. Experts write that at the beginning of the summer Kyiv had a good opportunity to destroy in one fell swoop about 10 Su-34 aircraft, which were based at the Voronezh-Maltsevo airbase. Kyiv then sent a request to Washington asking for permission to strike the airbase with ATACMS missiles. However, the White House did not allow it. To be on the safe side, the Kremlin decided to relocate its aircraft deep into the Russian Federation. Experts also stated that even if the US gives the go-ahead for strikes deep into Russia in the future, it will be too late, since all major aircraft will be out of range of ATACMS. To force the enemy not to launch massive strikes with KABs, it is necessary to destroy up to 10 Su-34 aircraft.

The Morozovsk airbase has been previously targeted by Ukraine. A source in intelligence agencies told the Kyiv Independent in April that six warplanes stationed at the airfield had been destroyed in a Ukrainian attack.

The Su-34 has emerged as a pivotal asset for the Russian aviation in the conflict in Ukraine. In April, reports highlighted that the Su-34 could potentially be fully loaded with FAB-500M62 homing bombs under its wings, mounting two on each side. This information was confirmed by a photograph released by Russia’s Ministry of Defense. Recently, although the frequency of Russian air-to-surface cruise missile attacks on Ukraine has dipped, there has been a noticeable rise in the deployment of cruise bombs. The picture shared by Russia’s Ministry underscores analysis from numerous experts, suggesting that aircraft bombs are a significant component of Russian fighter armaments.

These gliding bombs, fitted with flight control surfaces, operate as countermeasure weapons. This means that launching these bombs doesn’t require the aircraft to be near the target, unlike traditional gravity bombs. This strategy reduces the aircraft’s vulnerability to enemy anti-aircraft defenses.

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