Russia Hunts Down Ukrainian Jets ahead of F-16s Arrival

The reported losses of a number of Ukrainian jets and a helicopter on three successive days to Russian strikes have raised concerns about Ukraine's ability to protect its air bases ahead of the imminent arrival of sophisticated F-16 fighters from Kyiv's allies.

Russia's defense ministry has boasted of successful attacks on Ukrainian aircraft that may have dealt Kyiv some of the biggest blows to its air power since the start of the war.

On Monday, a Russian drone reportedly spotted six Ukrainian air force Sukhoi Su-27 fighters parked at Myrhorod air base, in the country's Poltava region that Russia later targeted with an Iskander ballistic missile.

There is dispute over the extent of the attack's impact, with Russia's defense ministry saying five Su-27s were destroyed and another two damaged.

Military Watch magazine reported how drones confirmed the loss of four Su-27s, two of which were destroyed, and two seriously damaged. Ukraine confirmed the attack without giving details on how many aircraft were hit.

"There are certain losses, but not at all like the ones the enemy is claiming," Yuriy Ignat, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said on Facebook.

"It's a disgraceful waste and someone's head has to roll for this," wrote Tim White, a documentary maker and journalist next to video of the strike on the Su-27s.

The following day, a Russian drone hovered over the same air base and after hours of surveillance, another Iskander missile struck, damaging, if not destroying, a Ukrainian army Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunship, according to the X account War Vehicle Tracker.

On Wednesday Russian forces are said to have targeted the Dolgintsevo air base near Kryvyi Rih, around 45 miles from the front line in southern Ukraine.

After a drone scanned the base at least three Iskanders were launched, destroying what appeared to be a Ukrainian air force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 fighter.

The Russian defense ministry released footage of a target being struck, with smoke rising into the air, following what it said was the destruction of the MiG-29 as well as air-to-surface weapons and aviation engineering vehicles.

Concerns have been raised about Russian drones being able to fly over Ukrainian air bases unimpeded, putting valuable aircraft at risk.

Referring to the strike on the Mi-24 helicopter, War Vehicle Tracker posted, "the lack of SHORAD (short-ranger air defense) is tragic. According to reports the UAV was flying for 3h, adjusting the strike."

In an op-ed for The Telegraph, David Axe, a defense correspondent at Forbes, said Ukraine's air force is struggling to simultaneously protect cities, front-line brigades and vulnerable air bases.

While Kyiv is due to receive a boost of 85 Lockheed Martin F-16s and maybe around a dozen Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters, he said "these planes will be just as vulnerable at their bases."

However, some protection will come from the three additional Patriot long-range surface-to-air missile batteries and spare launchers that Ukraine has been promised by Germany, the Netherlands and the United States.

Air defense also constitutes an important part of a $2.3-billion aid package announced by the U.S. on Wednesday but Axe said the additional Patriot batteries are not be enough, writing, "the scale of Ukraine's air-defense needs is enormous – and growing as Russia refines its surveillance and bombardment method."

Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian defense ministry for comment.