The number of Russian aircraft at two airfields in occupied Crimea is approaching zero.
This was reported by Dmytro Pletenchuk, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, during a broadcast on the FREEДОМ channel.
“They are periodically forced to 'jump' with the entire flight crew to save their equipment. But at two out of five operational airfields, the number of aircraft is slowly nearing zero,” he said.
Pletenchuk highlighted that during Ukrainian attacks, the Russians are compelled to lift their planes into the air to protect them.
“This has become one of their key defensive tactics in Crimea, conducting reconnaissance and patrols. They are forced to remain in Crimea due to the tactical-technical characteristics of Russian aviation. The operational range is such that they are willing to take the risk of staying there instead of flying from the mainland,” he added.