British intelligence: Russia will create an elite air group for ground strikes

Russia is creating a new air group code-named “Storm” for strikes on Ukraine. About that says in the daily report of the British Ministry of Defence.

According to British intelligence, the air group may include at least one squadron of Su-24 and Su-34 fighter-bombers and a squadron of combat helicopters. Based on the composition of the group, the MoD assumes that its main role will be ground attack.

Also, the very fact that such a group was created allows us to say so that the regular squadrons of the Russian air force are not keeping up with their main tasks – attacks on the borders of Ukraine – we read in the report.

Now the Russian Ministry of Defense recruits qualified and motivated pilots for the Storm group, offering them high salaries. Recruitment is also open to aviation veterans, according to a British intelligence report.

Russian aircraft, which were actively used in the first months of the war, stopped taking part in ground operations last year. Since it was not possible to completely suppress Ukrainian air defense systems, the Russian air force suspended attacks along the front line due to heavy losses, Meduza wrote, citing a study by an expert from the British Royal United Services Institute (Royal United Services Institute – RUSSIAN) Justin Bronek.

The military command of the Russian Federation returned bombers and fighters to ground operations only in 2023, on the eve of the Russian spring offensive. In March, the aviation of the Russian Federation launched massive airstrikes on the fortified area of ​​u200bu200bthe Armed Forces of Ukraine Avdeevka, and later on other sectors of the front.

In the spring, the Russian air force received a new long-range guided munitions that allow it to strike without entering the Ukrainian air defense zone.