June 15, 2022

Russia’s War in Ukraine: The Early Air War

REUTERS/Marina Lystseva
A Russian Il-78 air tanker, a Tu-160 strategic bomber and MiG-31 fighter jets fly in formation over a street installation and a store of Louis Vuitton brand located in a luxury shopping district during a rehearsal for a flypast, part of a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in central Moscow, Russia May 7, 2022.
A Russian Il-78 air tanker, a Tu-160 strategic bomber and MiG-31 fighter jets fly in formation over a street installation and a store of Louis Vuitton brand located in a luxury shopping district during a rehearsal for a flypast, part of a military parade marking the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in central Moscow, Russia May 7, 2022.

The fifth brief of the series looks at the early air war. Russia’s failure to conduct a devastating air offensive and secure air superiority, despite having all the advantages on paper at the start of its war in Ukraine, was a great surprise to observers and had major strategic impact.

In this brief, ICDS research fellow Tony Lawrence describes the recent historical context for Russia’s air campaign, its failures in the air in Ukraine, the role of Western assistance, and the importance of Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles. The intertwining of the air war and information war is a common theme throughout.

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