Ukraine's Airspace Is Currently 'Very Contested'
Air war demonstrates why Ukraine is so desperate for more planes
Ukraine continues to fight astoundingly well against the Russian forces which have been invading the country.
And that fight extends to the skies.
Ukrainians have, thus far, not allowed the Russian military to gain air superiority in the weeks since Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched his all-out lawless incursion into sovereign and democratic Ukraine.
It's apparently this opportunity to keep the Russians on the defensive in the air — as well as ground — why the Ukrainians have seemed so eager in recent days to be supplied with additional fighter aircraft.
John Kirby, press secretary at the Pentagon, said Monday that Ukraine's airspace is currently “very contested.”
“The Russians have not achieved air superiority over the whole country. It is dynamic. It changes day to day,” Kirby said.
The United States and Poland had been negotiating in recent days about a deal which would allow the NATO-member Poland to transfer Mig-29 aircraft to Ukraine, from the Polish air force — with reassurances that the Poles would receive replacement planes to restock its own fleet.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a deal Sunday in a television interview.
“That gets a green-light,” Blinken said in an interview with the CBS News program, Face the Nation, when asked whether the Polish government could send fighter planes to Ukraine. “In fact, we're talking with our Polish friends right now about what we might be able to do to backfill their needs if in fact they choose to provide these fighter jets to the Ukrainians. What can we do? How can we help to make sure that they get something to backfill the planes that they are handing over to the Ukrainians?”
Correction: A previous version of this story misreported the aircraft Poland is working to transfer to Ukraine. The story now has been updated with accurate information.
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