Air Force commander: Ukraine destroys over 8,000 Russian air targets since Feb. 24, 2022

The Ukrainian Air Force has destroyed over 8,000 Russian air targets since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk reported on Aug. 4.

"In two and a half years, the Air Force has destroyed over 8,000 enemy air targets: hundreds of airplanes and helicopters, thousands of cruise missiles and drones. Ukrainian pilots have carried out over 20,000 combat sorties, most of them involving the use of aviation weapons," Oleshchuk wrote on Telegram.

According to the Aug. 4 report from the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Russia has lost 363 airplanes, 326 helicopters, and 13,103 drones since the start of the full-scale war.

In his statement, Oleshchuk also congratulated Ukrainian soldiers on the national Air Force Day, marked on the first Sunday of August in Ukraine.

"During the full-scale invasion, for their personal courage and dedication demonstrated in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, 4,475 Air Force servicemen have been awarded state honors. Of them, 47 have been named Heroes of Ukraine, with 25, unfortunately, posthumously," he wrote.

"The battle for the sky continues. Around the clock, the enemy attacks us with bombs and missiles, conducts aerial reconnaissance, and strikes every night with attack drones," Oleshchuk wrote.

Russia’s Su-57 – hype vs. reality

In the latest blow to Russia’s military prestige, Ukraine this week claimed to have for the first time struck at least one – and possibly two – of Moscow’s cutting-edge, fifth-generation fighter jets, the Su-57. The aircraft were reportedly damaged after a strike on the Akhtubinsk airfield in the A…

The Kyiv IndependentChris York

"The Air Force, shoulder to shoulder with the air defense of all the Defense Forces of Ukraine, repels the attacks. As much as possible, they destroy the enemy's air attack means, strike the enemy from the air, and hold the defense on the ground."

Later in the day, President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram that "Ukraine will always be grateful to everyone who faithfully serves our nation every day and protects the lives of our people from Russian terror."

"Today, we especially thank all of the defenders of our sky, the Ukrainian warriors of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – for every downed Russian target, for their efficiency and precision," he wrote.

Ukraine received 6 F-16s from Netherlands, The Times reports

The first batch of F-16 fighter jets Ukraine received encompassed six planes provided by the Netherlands, The Times reported on July 31, citing an undisclosed source.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek