Rebels shoot down two jets.

[Kellhound]

At this point you have to wonder what the Ukrainian Air Force is doing.

Why do they insist on flying attack aircraft in an area where they know that the enemy got qualified AA, is it due to incompetence? Is there no one around to tell them otherwise or to tell how to do it right?

Of course if it's russian SAMs that is shooting them down then they are pretty much fucked, what are they gonna do, they can't very well perform SEAD against Russian targets on Russian territory without consequences. I'm sure the theoretical skills of SEAD and other types of operations is present in the Ukrainian Air Force, if not internally then through foreign advisors(e.g americans), but their efforts seems very lacking so far... or they are facing an opponent that have superior training and military hardware.

They go into range of SAMs because that is their job. It is a close support aircraft, it was intended to fight in contested areas at low level. Sukhoi just didn't know how to build a robust attack aircraft nearly as well as Fairchild Republic did.

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It's been plenty discussed, as well as the cargo plane AN-something.

It was an An-26

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Hello, it's awesome that you've recovered from that coma. The Cold War has been over for quite a while now and the idea that any of the worlds' nations would engage in a MAD situation is pretty ridiculous at this point, especially over a scuffle in Eastern Europe.

Only 2 nations have enough warheads and delivery systems to engage in MAD.

[Bryntrollian]

Well the World Cup is finally over, so now the people need some other kind of entertainment. People love a good show...it doesn't matter if it's merry or bloody.

The bloodier the better, I'd say.

[Deleted]

More fuel on fire... It is such a weird situation with a lot of layers that I (and a lot of other people) just can't see, and it scares the living shit of me to think where all this might end up.