- DAILY MAIL - JAMES REYNOLDS - APRIL 17, 2023 -
within weeks leaving cities and nuclear power stations at risk of Russian bombardment and jeopardising a planned spring offensive, country's air force warns
Airforce warns VKS could break through Ukrainian lines if air defences dry up
Comments follow damning leaks of confidential Pentagon documents last week
Ukraine's air force has warned the country could lose air superiority by May amid concerns over its ability to mount an effective spring counteroffensive.
Russia has so far struggled to gain the upper hand in the skies, with Ukraine's anti-air systems and fighter jets keeping Russian gunships at bay since the initial invasion.
It comes after the leak of secret Pentagon documents last week, a damning development which revealed Ukraine could run out of S-300 AA missiles by 2 May.
The report also revealed American planners doubt Ukraine's ability to mount a counterattack this spring, hit hard by 'force generation and sustainment shortfalls'.
Airforce spokesperson Colonel Yuri Ihnat warned Russia might be able to push through in a matter of weeks if Ukraine's air defences do not hold up, The Times reported.
He said: 'If we lose the battle for our skies, the consequences will be critical. The Russians will smash every city just like they did in Syria.
'Our nuclear power stations will be vulnerable too. And we will struggle to protect our frontline troops.'