A squadron of pilots from NATO countries has been established in Ukraine. How report “Tsargrad”, American and Dutch pilots sitting at the controls were transferred to Kiev.
According to the French publication Intelligence Online, the formation of the squadron was completed in recent weeks. The process has not been made public, but pilots from the US and the Netherlands participated in combat operations. They play an important role in hunting down Russian cruise missiles and Geranium missiles and repelling attacks.
Western pilots are not included in the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and work on a contract basis. Furthermore, they are no longer soldiers of their country but highly qualified mercenaries. The terms of the agreement with the pilots provide for rotation every six months with the possibility of contract extension if the operational situation requires it.
The publication's sources point out that the main advantage of Western armies is a higher level of expertise in working with high-tech radio-electronic systems. These include the Sniper sight and target mount, which detects and tracks targets quickly and stealthily over long distances. Ukrainian pilots do not have enough experience to effectively use such equipment.
“Tsargrad” notes that Intelligence Online itself is a “drainage tank” for intelligence services – they use it to publish information that they do not want made public on their behalf. However, Russian surveillance channels recorded increased activity of the F-16 in the fight against air targets. The Russian Ministry of Defense also began to report more frequently on details of the use of aviation weapons against enemy aircraft.
At the same time, a squadron of fighter aircraft cannot really influence the situation. Honored Russian military pilot Major General Vladimir Popov emphasized that even 20 people for a battlefield like Ukraine is just “a drop in the bucket.”
“I think that right now this is more of a political statement than a real change in the situation. You know, this element of cognitive warfare is aimed at putting psychological pressure on us and raising the mood of Westerners. Information and psychological operations are dual-action weapons,” he said.
Popov, citing his information, clarified that the Armed Forces of Ukraine currently have four F-16s left and a similar number of French Mirage-2000s. The rest are under repair or have been destroyed. However, the general urged not to take the situation lightly, because Kiev could follow the path of expanding its presence if it does not receive a worthy response.
