(June 9, 2022)

The report of a Ukrainian Su-27P fighter getting shot down could portend a different phase of aerial combat – one in which the Russians are getting better at dogfighting and are able to venture into Ukrainian air space at will to finally achieve the air dominance they have thus far been unable to establish. The Donbas phase of the war may mean more fighter jets from both sides taking to the skies as ground combat reaches a critical stage. Thus, aerial combat is becoming more decisive.