![Sukhoi SU-35 flying over Red Square on Victory Day airshow Den Pobedy in Moscow, Russia](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715046061-3e08.jpg)
Ukraine’s skies have become a perilous battlefield where even Russia’s most sophisticated aircraft are not immune to the lethal precision of Ukrainian missile systems.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/OIP-1.jpg)
Within three days before February 2024, an astonishing three-day period, Ukrainian forces downed six of Russia’s top fighter jets, casting a shadow over the invader’s once-vaunted air superiority.
![Sukhoi SU-35 flying over Red Square on Victory Day airshow Den Pobedy in Moscow, Russia](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715084744-a95e.jpg)
The Russian Air Force’s operational fleet, although vast and diverse, appears to be dwindling in effectiveness against an embattled yet fiercely resilient Ukrainian defense.
![Moscow Russia Zhukovsky Airfield 31 August 2019: aerobatic Su-35 perfoming demonstration flight of the international aerospace salon MAKS-2019.](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715084779-b816.jpg)
The downed aircraft include four Su-34 fighter-bombers and two Su-35 air-superiority fighters, both of which are among the best in the Russian arsenal for their respective roles.
![ZHUKOVSKY, RUSSIA - AUGUST 30, 2019: Four Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets of the Russian Air Force at the MAKS-2019 air show.](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715084847-068f.jpg)
Designed for supersonic strike capability and bristling with precision-guided munitions, the Su-34 is Russia’s go-to platform for close-air-support missions.
![Russian Knights demonstration flights. Russia, Moscow, airport Zhukovsky. July 22, 2017](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715084869-0702.jpg)
The Su-35, on the other hand, is an upgraded version of the Su-27, boasting enhanced maneuverability and sophisticated avionics.
![MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 3,2019: Sukhoi SU-35 flying over Red Square on Victory Day airshow Den Pobedy](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715084888-7a9c.jpg)
However, despite their capabilities, these aircraft have not been immune to Ukraine’s tactical prowess and missile accuracy.
![Russian Air Force jet Su-35. Russia. Moscow August 2015.](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715084906-4203.jpg)
Ukraine’s utilization of U.S.-made Patriot air-defense missiles has been notably judicious and devastatingly effective.
![Istanbul, Turkey - September-18,2019: Teknofest 2019 air shows Russian Su-35 aircraft close-up.](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715085001-d87f.jpg)
Despite being short on these advanced munitions, Ukrainian forces have optimized their use, targeting Russian aircraft with a near-perfect kill rate that the Kremlin’s air force can ill-afford to sustain.
![Russia, Engels - march,2021: Russian anti-aircraft missile system C 300.](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715085023-423f.jpg)
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry proudly announced, “Russian planes continue to fall!” – a declaration that underscores a David versus Goliath dynamic in the conflict.
![Anti aircraft air force missiles. Patriotism and remembrance. Victory day in Baku - Azerbaijan: 10 December 2020.](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715085043-4c75.jpg)
The losses of these aircraft come at a critical juncture for Russia. According to independent assessments, the Russian Air Force has lost a significant portion of its Su-34 and Su-35 fleet since the conflict began.
![Dnipro, Ukraine - July 13, 2021: Open air Museum Missile Park or Rocket Park and at same time patriotic headquarters of the surrender resistance movement. Dnipro is Ukraine's fourth-largest city.](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715085068-18dc.jpg)
Analysts argue that sustaining such a rate of attrition would be disastrous for an air force with an already stretched-thin cadre of experienced pilots.
![Anti aircraft air force missiles. Patriotism and remembrance. Victory day in Baku - Azerbaijan: 10 December 2020.](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715085089-3376.jpg)
As one report from the Royal United Services Institute in London puts it, Russian air operations “are constrained by the availability of pilots with sufficient experience to carry out key missions.”
![Istanbul, Turkey - September-18,2019: Teknofest 2019 air shows Russian Su-35 aircraft close-up.](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715085130-db27.jpg)
However, the seemingly unstoppable string of successes for Ukrainian air defense may not continue indefinitely.
![MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 7, 2021: Avia parade in Moscow. group jet fighter aircraft MiG-35 and Su-30 in the sky on parade of Victory in World War II in Moscow, Russia](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715085171-5842.jpg)
Political shifts and the blockade of aid could threaten Ukraine’s missile stocks, which are nearing a “critical level.” This shortage might ultimately taper off the rate at which Ukraine can continue shooting down Russian warplanes.
Relevant articles:
– Ranked: The Russian Air Force’s Best and Worst Warplanes, The National Interest
– Sukhoi Massacre: Ukraine Has Shot Down Six Of Russia’s Best Jets In Just Three Days, forbes.com
– The Top 5 Fighter Jets Used By The Russian Air Force, Simple Flying