Ukrainian Air Force
The Ukrainian Air Force is the air force of Ukraine and one of the eight branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its current form was created in 2004 by merging the Ukrainian Air Defence Forces into the Air Force.
When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, many aircraft were left in Ukrainian territory. After Ukrainian independence in 1991, the air force suffered from chronic under-investment, leading to the bulk of its inventory becoming mothballed or otherwise inoperable. However its domestic defense industry Ukroboronprom and its Antonov subsidiary are able to maintain its older aircraft.
The Ukrainian Air Force participated in the war in Donbas. Following the 2014 ceasefire, the air force was suspended from carrying out missions in the areas of Donbas. Since February 2022, the Air Force has been engaged in constant combat operations in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The air force flies F-16, Mirage 2000, and Soviet-made aircraft. However in the long term manned aircraft are expected to be Gripen and Rafale combat aircraft, supported by Saab 340 AEW&C.
Missions
The role of the Air Force is to protect the air space of Ukraine. The objectives are: obtaining operational air superiority, delivering air strikes against enemy units and facilities, covering troops against enemy air strikes, providing air support to the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Marine Corps and the Navy in wartime operations and peacetime exercises, disrupting enemy military movements on the ground, air and sea, disrupting enemy communications, and providing air support by reconnaissance, airdrops, and troop and cargo transportation in both peace and war, in support of the Armed Forces, other uniformed forces, and wider mandates of the Government of Ukraine.In peace-time, this is carried out by flying air-space control missions over the entire territory of Ukraine, and by preventing air space intrusion along the aerial borders.
As of 2025, combatting enemy jets which drop glide bombs is important.
History
1917–1945
Ukrainian military aviation started with the winter 1917 creation of the Ukrainian People's Republic Air Fleet, headed by former commander of the Kyiv Military District Lieutenant Colonel Viktor Pavlenko. Previously, while in Russian service in World War I, Pavlenko was in charge of air security of the Russian Stavka.Sometime in 1918, the West Ukrainian People's Republic created its own aviation corps with the Ukrainian Galician Army headed by Petro Franko, a son of renowned Ukrainian writer Ivan Franko. In 1918, he organized an aviation school of the Ukrainian Galician Army Command Center which was active until 1920.
The airplanes used by Ukraine in this period included Belgium-built SPAD S.VIIs. The Ukrainian Galician Army used Nieuport 17 biplanes. At the beginning of 1918, 188 aircraft of 26 models were listed in Ukrainian registers.
During World War II, Ukrainian pilots took part in combat operations as part of the Soviet Air Force. Among these pilots, Ivan Kozhedub is notable for being the highest-scoring Allied ace with over 60 credited solo victories.
Collapse of the USSR
Air Forces
On the basis of the ex-Soviet Air Forces formations in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force, as a service branch of the young Armed Forces, was established on 17 March 1992, in accordance with a Directive of the Chief of the General Staff of the AFU. The headquarters of the 24th Air Army of the Soviet Air Force in Vinnytsia served as the basis to create the Air Force headquarters. The newly created PSZSU nominally controlled at least three Frontal Aviation Armies, the Strategic 46th Air Army, the 8th Air Defence Army including the 28th, 49th, and 60th Air Defence Corps from the Soviet Air Defence Forces, two Military Transport divisions, at least nine Army Aviation regiments, and a large part of the Naval Aviation of the Black Sea Fleet, for a total of 49 regiments and 11 independent squadrons with more than 2,800 aircraft and helicopters. The PSZSU also controlled the 106th Heavy Bomber Division, based at Pryluky. This division included twenty-seven Tu-95MS bombers, two obsolete Tu-95M, nineteen new Tu-160 bombers, and twenty Il-78 aerial tankers. The 160th Division also had at least 564 Kh-22 and Kh-55 air-to-surface nuclear cruise missiles in their inventory.After combining all its flying assets into the Air Force, Ukraine gradually began downsizing the size of the PSZSU in order to comply with the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe terms. Faced with difficulties maintaining a strategic bomber fleet, Ukraine was forced to scrap part of their bomber fleet under the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program and return some aircraft and all nuclear cruise missiles to Russia in exchange for settling debts for oil and natural gas imported from the Russian Federation.
Air Defence Forces
In 1992, the newly independent Ukrainian State took over control over the three Air Defence corps stationed in Ukraine and retained the Air Defence Forces of Ukraine as a separate armed service, equal in status to the Ground Forces, Air Forces and the Navy. The 28th Corps was transferred to the now-Ukrainian 8th Separate Army of Air Defence.1991–2014
Since its independence in 1991, Ukraine launched a three-stage reform program to reform its Armed Forces. During the first stage which ran from 1991 to 2006, the ZSU shrank in size and capabilities. Corruption, already endemic in the political and economic system of the country began spreading into the ZSU, resulting in an increase of draft dodging cases and bases falling into a state of decay. Under the government of Viktor Yanukovych from 2010 to 2014, an armed conflict with Russian Federation was considered unthinkable, resulting in further budget cuts. By 2014, the Air Force was suffering from chronic under-investment, leading to the bulk of its inventory becoming mothballed or otherwise becoming inoperable.In 1993, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated that the PSZSU had 171,000 personnel with 900 combat capable aircraft plus 440 in storage; 87 reconnaissance, 47 electronic countermeasure, 274 transport, 560 training fixed-wing aircraft, and 142 helicopters.
Between 1994 and 2003, the entire fleet of 60 Tu-22M2 and Tu-22M3 with the exception of a few aircraft preserved for display in local museums, were scrapped alongside 423 Kh-22 cruise missiles. By 1995−96, the MiG-23, MiG-25, and Su-15 interceptors were withdrawn from service. While Ukraine was less than keen on returning its fleet of strategic bombers to Russia "since they could be used in roles other than nuclear attack", the PSZSU was soon unable to keep the fleet operational with Russia refusing to sell spare parts, forcing the Ukrainian government to start negotiating the possible sale of the aircraft back to Russia, but as talks dragged on, their condition seriously deteriorated. Starting in November 1998, some of the older aircraft began to be scrapped with American funding and in October 1999, Ukraine finally agreed to return eight Tu-160s, three Tu-95MS's, and 575 Kh-55MS nuclear cruise missiles to settle debts for oil and natural gas imported from the Russian Federation.
During the second stage of reforming the ZSU, which ran from 2006 to 2014, Ukraine was supposed to move from the old Soviet model of fielding large formations into a smaller, fully trained and equipped professional force, taking advantage of new technologies such as digitalization, precision-guided munitions and sensors, and command and control infrastructure. However, by 2014, it became clear that such plans were beyond the capabilities of the Ukrainian state to fund and implement, resulting in the PSZSU being unprepared for the War in Donbas. Between 2006 and 2017, Ukraine sold as many as 65 combat jets, 41 L-39s trainers, six An-72, An-74, and An-12 military transports, three Il-78 tankers, 50 Tu-143 reconnaissance drones, 44 Mi-24 attack helicopters and 802 missiles of various types.
On average, the Ukrainian radar forces detect and track more than 1,000 targets daily. As a result, in 2006 two illegal crossings of the state border were prevented and 28 violations of Ukrainian air space were prevented. Due to such increased strengthening of air space control, the number of air space violations decreased by 35% compared to the previous year, even though the amount of air traffic increased by 30%.
By 2010, the Air Force was reduced to 45,240 personnel. Formations included seven brigades with 188 combat aircraft; two reconnaissance squadrons operated thirty-three Su-24MRs; three transport brigades with 31 aircraft ; a helicopter fleet with 38 Mi-9s, Mi-8s, and Mi-2s. While only thirty-nine L-39s were available for training compared to 300 operational in 2002.
Some upgrade programs were carried to overhaul and upgrade the PSZSU fleet of fighters and fighter-bombers. In 2008, 12 Su-25s were upgraded to the Su-25M1K standard. In 2011, the Air Force received its first four upgraded MiG-29MU1s with assistance from Rockwell Collins. From 2012 onwards, the MiGremont company started working on upgrading Su-27 to the Su-27M1 standard. However, due the lack of funds, only part of the fleet was upgraded prior to February 2014.
Role in the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine
In 2014, the PSZSU was reduced to 144 aircraft, but only two-thirds were operational at the time. Due the poor condition of several of their aircraft, some units were severely understrength.Despite its poor condition, the Air Force operated intensively in the Donbas region, inflicting heavy casualties on the pro-Russian insurgents, albeit at a heavy cost. During the first four months of the War in Donbas alone, the Ukrainian Air Force and Ukrainian Army Aviation lost four Mi-24 gunships, two Mi-8 helicopters, six Su-25s, three transport aircraft and four strike and air-superiority fighters. In total, 20 aircraft were shot down or lost in accidents, 126 were captured by the Russians after their air bases in Crimea were seized; while 51 servicemen of the PSZSU were killed including 16 pilots from February to early September 2014. Ukraine later managed to secure the return of 92 of the captured aircraft.
While the Russians made ample use of drones since the start of the conflict for observation and fire control, Ukraine had very few drones in early 2014. In fact, the Air Force operated none at all. In August 2014, the PSZSU began employing restored Tu-141 and Tu-143 reconnaissance drones, while citizens and supporters from abroad launched crowdfunded initiatives to buy or build reconnaissance drones for the ZSU.
After the ZSU was defeated in the Battle of Ilovaisk, Russia demanded a complete ban on the Ukrainian use of air power as a condition for the Minsk I peace agreement, though Air Command East based at Dnipropetrovsk kept two units of S-300PS surface-to-air missile batteries on standby against potential Russian airstrikes.