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Air War in Ukraine

Czech self-propelled machine guns MR-2 Viktor caliber 14.5 mm have been in the Ukrainian service for a long time.


Wish for something, the red stars are falling!


Text: Miro Barič

Photos:  Ukrainian armed forces, social media and other public sources


In the period covered by this part of the series, the Russian air force suffered some of the highest losses in the air, excluding the initial months of the invasion. Between December 1 and December 31, 2023, Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense shot down five to seven Russian aircraft, including one helicopter being taken out of service. Systematic attacks also continued in the occupied Crimea and the ships of the Black Sea Fleet. Unfortunately, at the end of the observed period, the Russians launched long-awaited winter missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.

 

The first Russian loss occurred on Tuesday, December 5, when a Su-24M bomber attempted to attack Odesa from the south. According to some sources, it intended to launch missiles, while others claim it carried gliding bombs with a range of up to 70 km. Instead, it was shot down by a Ukrainian missile in the area of Snake Island. The Patriot system was likely used. Ukrainians received two batteries in the spring of the previous year, initially used for the defense of Kyiv, and one battery was later transferred to Odesa in the fall. At the end of last year, they were supposed to receive a third battery from Germany, and it seems they successfully used it not only in a defensive mode, as we will later see.

 Both pilots of the downed Su-24M, belonging to the Russian naval aviation, were supposed to eject, but they did not survive. Russians sent an An-26 aircraft and an Mi-8 helicopter to search for them, but the search was unsuccessful. On the very next day, Wednesday, December 6, Russians lost an Mi-8 helicopter. It landed in a field near the village of Mankivka in the Svatove district of the Luhansk region. It stayed on the ground long enough for a Ukrainian drone to notice it and guide the firing from the M142 HIMARS rocket launcher. The rocket did not directly hit the helicopter but exploded nearby, still causing the fuselage to be pierced by fragments.

 On Sunday, December 17, Russians lost a Su-25 attack aircraft. The location and circumstances were not specified. The pilot, a lieutenant colonel with the call sign Mason, lost his life. According to some sources, he was shot down by his own Buk M3 air defense system. According to other sources, he was flying by instruments in very bad weather and crashed after losing orientation. It is worth noting that the Russian side does not officially report its losses. However, the losses of pilots are usually confirmed by sources on social networks, such as the Telegram channel Fighterbomber.

 Inscription on a Russian bomb as a memento for the Su-25 pilot nicknamed Mason.

Equipment at the site where one of the pilots from the downed Russian Su-34 ejected on December 22, 2023.

Russian rescue helicopter Mi-8. At least two of the downed pilots were found alive on December 22.

The first confirmed casualty from the downed Su-34 was Lieutenant Stepan Zhirnov from the 277th Bomber Aviation Regiment.

According to the latest information, Captain Vyacheslav Kisilev from the 559th Bomber Aviation Regiment also died on December 22.

Damaged Ka-52, captured in Crimea in September. The footage appeared three months later.

Major Stanislav Romanenko, who died in a Ukrainian Su-27 at the Ozerne airbase.


Three Sukhois shot down at the same time

 Black day for the Russian air force occurred on Friday, December 22, when a group of Su-34 fighter-bombers fell into a deadly trap. Russian aircraft regularly flew to bomb the Ukrainian bridgehead on the left bank of the Dnieper and artillery positions on the right bank of the river. A similar situation occurred last May in northern Ukraine when Russians regularly flew to bomb Ukrainian territory with gliding bombs. However, Ukrainians moved the Patriot system closer to the border, and on May 13, 2023, they shot down two aircraft and three helicopters. They did a similar thing now in southern Ukraine and reported the shooting down of three Su-34s at once. It was supposed to happen in the Chaplynka and Kalanchak districts of the Kherson region. Official confirmation from the Russian side, of course, was not announced. Unofficial sources, however, stated that at least three pilots died, and at least two others survived the shootdown. This would suggest the downing of three Su-34s, which have a two-member crew. The identity of one of the dead pilots was confirmed as Lieutenant Stepan Zhirnov from the 277th Bomber Aviation Regiment.

 Although the Russian side officially remains silent, the loss of three Su-34s at once shook the Russian air force. Until then, they released about a hundred gliding bombs daily on the Ukrainian bridgehead around the village of Krynky, on the next day, Saturday, December 23, these attacks stopped completely. And the Ukrainians were not done with their mission by any means. On Christmas, December 24, they reported the downing of another Su-34 near Mariupol and a Su-30 near Odesa. This would truly suggest the deployment of two Patriot batteries in southern Ukraine. One protects Odesa, and the other moves as needed. The mentioned Telegram channel Fighterbomber even stated that this battery was placed on a train for easier and faster relocation. However, this information cannot be verified and seems rather unlikely.

 In addition to all the above mentioned recent shootdowns, photos documenting older losses have also appeared. On Saturday, December 23, images of a damaged Ka-52 helicopter were published, as it was transported on a trailer across the Kerch Strait to occupied Crimea. The footage dates back to September and probably relates to the Ukrainian offensive in the Zaporizhia region. During this offensive, Ukrainians reported several hits on Ka-52 helicopters, which were not visually confirmed at that time.

 American guided gliding bomb under the wing of a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter.


Ukrainian Losses and Successes

 A similar case of confirming previously undocumented losses from the previous period has also occurred on the Ukrainian side. On Friday, December 8, footage of an Mi-8 helicopter wreckage was released, which had crashed into a house, likely in the Kherson region. When and under what circumstances this happened is unknown. The fate of the crew is also unclear. A confirmed loss during this period on the Ukrainian side occurred on Friday, December 22. After the alarm was raised due to approaching Shahid drones, a Su-27 fighter took off from the Ozerne base in the Zhytomyr region. It was piloted by Major Stanislav Romanenko from the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade. A few minutes after takeoff, the aircraft crashed near the airport, and the pilot died. The cause of the plane crash is not yet known. Romanenko was already retired, but after the Russian attack in February 2022, he again assumed an active duty as a pilot with the Ukrainian Air Force.

 In addition to shooting down the aircraft, Ukrainians also claimed another significant success in attacks on surface targets. In the port of Feodosia in occupied Crimea, on Tuesday, December 26, a landing ship of the Ropucha class was destroyed. Before the war, the Russians concentrated thirteen landing ships in the Black Sea. However, the expected amphibious operation against Odessa never took place, and these vessels serve only to transport supplies for the frontline units. Ukrainians gradually managed to destroy Saratov and Minsk ships and damage the Olenegorsky Gornyak. Novocherkassk is now the fourth decommissioned landing ship of the Russian fleet.

 Its demise was captured in several videos. The ship was hit by Storm Shadow missiles, caught fire, and then suffered a massive explosion. The cargo being carried, which probably consisted of artillery shells and rocket launcher missiles, exploded. However, initial reports mentioned a shipment of Iranian drones. The ship's fragments were scattered within a radius of 700 meters, and residents of Feodosia found debris in their yards and on the streets for several days after the incident. The explosion also caused the sinking of the old training ship UTS-150, converted from a former T43-class minesweeper from the 1950s. It was anchored opposite the landing ship on the other side of the port basin. 

Fire on the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk in the port of Feodosia.

The wreck of the Novocherkassk ship after sinking near the pier.


The wreckage of Novocherkassk sank to the bottom of the harbor, with only the burned remnants of the bridge, chimney, and broken mast remaining above water. Some Russian sources admitted that 33 sailors were missing after the attack. The Ukrainian side reports that about 70 Russians died on the ship. What followed the sinking of Novocherkassk vividly illustrates the work of Russian propaganda, aiming to inundate the information space with a multitude of versions that not only contradict available evidence but often contradict each other. Do not look for logic in this; Russia is merely trying to marginalize and doubt the truth in this way.

 In the case of Novocherkassk, for example, the Russians took advantage of the fact that higher-quality footage was not available shortly after the attack. The wreckage of the ship was not clearly visible at the pier, and the buildings and cranes on the pier appeared untouched. Therefore, claims emerged that Ukrainians did not sink any ship in Feodosia, and the video of its explosion is fake. However, further images quickly revealed that even the concrete pier was seriously damaged, and it likely diverted the explosion's energy away from the buildings and cranes. The shipwreck was also clearly visible in subsequent satellite images.

 Afterward, the Russians tried to downplay the loss of the ship by claiming that it was already decommissioned and unused. However, the Suchonimus channel on YouTube, based on recent satellite images, demonstrated that although Novocherkassk regularly anchored in the same place, there were days when it was absent from the harbor. Obviously, it was lifted to pick up some cargo during those times. This happened, for example, on October 18. Russians also labeled Feodosia as a peaceful civilian port with no defenses, explaining how Ukrainians managed to sink the ship. However, this claim was easily refuted by Suchonimus based on satellite images. In the photo from October 2, Feodosia can be seen with 16 ships, at least seven of which are military, including two corvettes and two minesweepers.

 The assertion of a civilian port without defenses contradicts another Russian version, according to which the port's defense worked excellently and shot down two attacking Ukrainian Su-24 aircraft directly above the ship. The huge explosion in the video is said to capture the end of the Ukrainian planes. Ignoring the fact that, according to multiple statements from the Kremlin, all Ukrainian Su-24s were already eliminated sometime in the summer and fall of 2022, it is a childish excuse, especially considering that Su-24s release low-flying missiles hundreds of kilometers away from the target. Therefore, they did not need to fly over the territory controlled by Russia during the attack.

 Czech self-propelled machine guns MR-2 Viktor caliber 14.5 mm have been in the Ukrainian service for a long time.

ZSU-23-4 Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft gun in Ukrainian service.

Cannons mounted on MT-LB chassis are also used against drones.

The battle against drones is ongoing around the clock.


The Largest Attack of the Entire War

 At the very end of the observed period, Russia resumed its bombing offensive against Ukrainian cities. For several months, it had been using primarily Shahid drones, which helped map the activity of the Ukrainian air defense. However, on Friday, December 29, Russia launched a large-scale attack using a significant number of missiles and low-flying missiles, fired from 18 strategic bombers. A total of 122 were aimed at Ukraine, of which the defenders managed to destroy 87. They were complemented by 36 drones, of which 27 were shot down. It was the largest aerial attack since the beginning of the war. The targets included Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Lviv, Odessa, Zaporizhia, and other cities. The attack resulted in 58 human casualties and more than 160 injuries.

 The target this time was not the energy infrastructure as in the past winter, but the military-industrial complex, specifically objects that Russians believed were used for military production. However, Ch-22 missiles were also used in the attack, which the Ukrainian defense struggles to intercept due to their high speed, but they are notoriously inaccurate. Consequently, the projectiles again hit mainly civilian objects. The impact affected 45 apartment buildings, over 100 houses, schools, hospitals, two churches, shops, warehouses, and a metro station. In Kyiv, 33 people died, and 35 were injured. In Dnipro, where a maternity hospital and a shopping center were hit, seven people died, and 30 were injured. In Odessa, the attacks claimed five lives and injured 27 people. During the attack, one of the Russian missiles penetrated Polish territory and, after about three minutes, turned back into Ukrainian airspace. It appears to be a deliberate maneuver aimed at avoiding Ukrainian defense and attacking from an unexpected direction. There were also cases where Ch-101 missiles released decoy targets during flight. It is unclear whether they were pre-programmed to do so in specific areas or if they have a sensor that alerts them when they are targeted.

Burning shopping center hit on December 29 in Dnipro.

The maternity hospital in Dnipro was also destroyed. Mothers were evacuated to shelters after the alarm was sounded.

 Damaged residential building in Odesa.


Ukrainian Retaliation

 On the following day, Saturday, December 30, Ukraine launched 70 drones targeting locations in Russian territory. The most severely affected was the city of Belgorod, approximately 40 km from the Ukrainian border. Russian authorities claim that Ukrainians targeted civilian objects, including a skating rink, a shopping center, and a university. Twenty-five civilians were reported dead, and over 100 were injured. However, based on photographs released by Belgorod residents, it appears that the city was mainly hit by its own air defense missiles. Some debris found in the streets was identified as remnants of S-300 missiles, and several houses were hit by missiles from the Pantsir systems. The Kremlin rejected this claim, and a military spokesperson stated that the Russian armed forces precisely target their objectives without causing any collateral damage. Remember this statement, as we will come back to it later in the continuation. Mutual attacks between the two sides continued. After Belgorod was shelled, Russia launched missile attacks on Kharkiv, hitting a hotel, apartment buildings, and other "military" targets. In the following days, Russia also deployed 49 drones against Ukrainian cities.

 The shelling of Belgorod had repercussions in the UN. The Kremlin, without any evidence, claimed that Ukraine used RM-70 Vampire rocket launchers supplied from the Czech Republic. They could not have had any evidence because even with extended-range rockets, the Vampire from Ukrainian territory could not reach the center of Belgorod. Nevertheless, Russia sought to summon the Czech representative to the UN to provide an explanation. However, the Czech representative refused the summons and did not allow himself to be exploited by Russian propaganda.

 Disposal of a Kinzhal missile warhead that got harmlessly buried in the ground. There is also a video capturing the fall of another downed Kinzhal into the water.


F-16 from the Netherlands as well

 During the observed period, problems with the delivery of necessary weapons and ammunition escalated due to internal political disputes in the United States. Despite this, there were positive developments for Ukraine. For example, missiles for Patriot systems are manufactured under license in Japan. Although they are not directly delivered to Kyiv, Japan agreed to provide its products to the United States, which could then supply Patriot missiles to Ukraine. Good news also came regarding F-16 fighter jets. In addition to Belgium, Denmark, and Norway, which had already promised their delivery, the Netherlands joined during the observed period, announcing that it would provide Ukraine with 18 aircraft. At the same time, the first six Ukrainian pilots completed basic training on the F-16 and moved to Denmark, where they continue their combat training. There were also reports that donor states are actively working to enhance the F-16 aircraft within their capabilities during the training of Ukrainian pilots. This includes the installation of more modern radars, and the integration of advanced weapons is not ruled out. Incidentally, Russia reacted in its typical manner. Even before the arrival of the F-16s in Ukraine, it claimed to have destroyed six of them in an attack on the airport in Odessa. They even provided a photo of a burned fighter on the ground. However, there was one small flaw – the photo is from 2018 and captures the crash of a Belgian aircraft.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the cockpit of an F-16. Beside him is the Commander of the Dutch Air Force, Lieutenant General Andre Steur.


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