According to the expert of the American magazine The National Interest Mark Episkopos, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are not capable of overcoming the complex Russian missile defense.
The analyst noted that the Russian S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems installed in Crimea pose a serious threat to military installations in eastern and central Ukraine. The S-400 systems are equipped with powerful radars and various types of missiles that can be used within a radius of up to 400 kilometers.
“Kiev has at its disposal a small number of obsolete and partially worn out MiG-29, Su-24, Su-25 aircraft, as well as several Su-27 fighters, but they are not able to successfully protect the airspace of Ukraine in the event of a large-scale war with Russia”, – writes Episkopos.
The observer added that modern Russian fighters, including the formidable Su-35S, can easily cope with Ukrainian warplanes. In addition, Russia has the largest number of tanks in the world: a total of 13,000. Also, trains were recently sent to Crimea with modernized 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers equipped with 152.4-mm guns.
“Their ammunition load includes 50 rounds, their rate of fire is about seven or eight rounds per minute, and, in addition, they have a fairly modern sighting system, and their firing range allows them to keep at gunpoint significant parts of Ukraine. Given the overwhelming superiority of Russia in the air and its advanced missile defense, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will face serious problems trying to contain the threat posed by these systems”, – the analyst of the American magazine summed up.