A Blog by Jonathan Low

 

Aug 6, 2022

Ukraine On Verge of Receiving Fighter Jets From Eastern Europe

Old, but evidently serviceable. And the transfer is probably tied to Poland's order for newer jets as well as the assignment of a US Air Force stealth Raptor fighter wing to Poland. JL 

Emma Helfrich reports in The Drive:

Four Macedonian Su-25 subsonic jet aircraft were recently delivered to Ukraine in some capacity. If true, the jets, three of which originally belonged to Ukraine before 2001, would join the T-72 tanks Macedonia had donated to Ukraine in July, officially disbanding the country’s only tank battalion. Macedonia received a rush delivery of four Su-25s in 2001 for use against Albanian insurgents. Three single-seaters from Ukraine and one two-seater from Belarus made up the fleet. The aircraft stopped flying around 2004 and have been left sitting prepared for sale in the open at Petrovec airbase in Macedonia since then.

Ukrainian media outlets have begun reporting that various government entities told them four Macedonian Su-25 subsonic jet aircraft were recently delivered to Ukraine in some capacity. If true, the jets, three of which originally belonged to Ukraine before 2001, would join the T-72 tanks Macedonia had donated to Ukraine in July, officially disbanding the country’s only tank battalion. Although, neither the Macedonian Ministry of Defense nor the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has released official statements confirming the potential jet transfer.

Macedonia received a rush delivery of four Su-25s in 2001 for use against Albanian insurgents. Three single-seaters from Ukraine and one two-seater from Belarus made up the fleet. The aircraft stopped flying around 2004 and have been left sitting prepared for sale in the open at Petrovec airbase in Macedonia since then. 

The Macedonian news outlet MKD unofficially cited government sources claiming that Ukrainian military engineers were spotted inspecting and fixing the jets at the airbase in June, however, those reports are unconfirmed.

"The exact details of these decisions, their content, and explanation will be declassified and transparently published,” said the Ukrainian ministry. “With the decisions made so far, the combat readiness of our army is not violated.”

The Su-25 is a Soviet-era Sukhoi ground-attack and close-air-support jet that has become a household name throughout the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Even the Russian Air Force is known to have been operating a number of the Frogfoot jets, rather unsuccessfully at times, and Ukrainian forces also operate the type, often flying at incredibly low altitudes to avoid the threat of Russian air defense systems.

Today, the U.S. Air Force in Europe released a statement detailing that 12 U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron forward deployed to the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask, Poland. Current reports dictate that six of those Raptors have now arrived in support of NATO’s ‘air shielding’ mission, which is centered around deterring “any possible Russian aggression” and shielding the airspace along NATO’s Eastern borders. 

The deployment is unprecedented for the Raptor force, which had just sent a pair of Raptors to Poland a few years ago as a goodwill and training drill. It’s also the first time the F-22 has been deployed to Europe since Russia’s invasion began. You can read our initial reporting on the F-22’s arrival in Europe which details how unique the deployment is here

The fifth-generation stealth fighters were chosen for this particular NATO mission because of their “ability to provide lethality and survivability against any emerging high-end threats,” according to the USAF.

“The NATO Air Shielding mission integrates Allied Air and Surface Based Air and Missile Defense units into the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defense system under NATO Command and Control,” read a USAF press release. “It will provide a near seamless shield from the Baltic to Black Seas, ensuring NATO Allies are better able to safeguard and protect Alliance territory, populations and forces from air and missile threat.”

The F-22s of the 90th Fighter Squadron, based far away in Alaska, will take over the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing’s mission, which has been using its fleet of F-35 Lightning IIs to execute the coalition’s air policing mission since their arrival in-theater on May 2. The F-35 Lightening II three-month long rotational deployment was completed at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany and returned to Vermont on August 3.


A Su-25 used by the Macedonian Air Force grounded on Petrovec Airbase. Credit: Rob Schleiffert/Wikimedia Commons

The War Zone has obtained Google Earth imagery from February that showed the four Su-25s at Petrovec, and Planet Labs imagery continued to place them there up until April. However, the most current Planet Labs satellite data from July shows that the jets are no longer there. This comparison reveals that between the months of April and July, the Su-25s were moved, in one way or another, to an undisclosed location. 

This finding could line up with MKD’s claims that the aircraft were spotted undergoing rehabilitation with Ukrainian engineers in June, however, it is important to note that the jets could have also been transported to an additional location to be stripped for parts. When asked about the rumors by MKD, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense didn’t outright confirm or deny that the transfer of either complete jets or aircraft parts has taken place. 

An aerial shot of the Petrovec Airbase in Macedonia showing four Su-25s taken on February 22, 2022. Credit: Google Earth

"The exact details of these decisions, their content, and explanation will be declassified and transparently published,” said the Ukrainian ministry. “With the decisions made so far, the combat readiness of our army is not violated.”

The Su-25 is a Soviet-era Sukhoi ground-attack and close-air-support jet that has become a household name throughout the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Even the Russian Air Force is known to have been operating a number of the Frogfoot jets, rather unsuccessfully at times, and Ukrainian forces also operate the type, often flying at incredibly low altitudes to avoid the threat of Russian air defense systems. 



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