Russia is holding back on using its most advanced fighter jets over Ukraine because it’s scared they’ll get shot down, UK intel says

• Russia’s the usage of its maximum superior fight jets in opposition to Ukraine, British intelligence stated Monday.
• But the jets are firing missiles into Ukraine best from Russian territory, the short added.
• It stated Russia’s preserving them again over concerns about “reputational damage” if they may be shot down.

Russia is maintaining again on the usage of its maximum superior fighter jets over Ukrainian airspace due to the fact it is scared they will get shot down, the UK’s protection ministry stated on Monday.

In its modern intelligence replace, the protection ministry stated Moscow had “nearly certainly” used Su-fifty seven Felon fighter jets to behavior missions in opposition to Ukraine on the grounds that at the least June.

“These missions have probable been constrained to flying over Russian territory, launching lengthy variety air-to-floor or air-to-air missiles into Ukraine,” the short stated.

It counseled that Russia’s preserving its jets on domestic soil due to the fact it is “fending off the reputational damage, decreased export prospects, and the compromise of touchy era which might come from any lack of FELON over Ukraine.”

The twin-engine and single-seat plane is Russia’s maximum superior fifth-era supersonic fight jet.

For an plane to be taken into consideration fifth-era, it ought to own particular technical traits consisting of the cappotential to fly at supersonic speeds with out afterburners.

The protection ministry referred to a satellite tv for pc picture taken on December 25 indicating that 5 of the jets had been housed on the best regarded Felon air base in Russia, withinside the southern area of Akhtubinsk.

Russia’s protection minister, Sergei Shoigu, stated in August that the Felon had already been used “brilliantly” in fight on the grounds that Russia’s invasion, aleven though there has been little proof on the time that this became the case.

Russia’s cautious tactic is indicative of its persevered danger-averse technique to using its air pressure withinside the battle in opposition to Ukraine, given the danger of enormous losses.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated in an replace on Monday that Russia had misplaced greater than 280 airplanes on the grounds that the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.