Air Superiority is Ukraine’s priority for 2024 against Russia
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, declares gaining control over the country’s skies as the top priority for 2024 amid Russia’s full-scale assault
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, declared at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday that gaining control over the country’s skies is the top priority for 2024 as Russia’s full-scale assault enters its third year. This statement follows overnight drone and missile attacks by Russia, resulting in 20 injuries and extensive damage in the southern city of Odesa.
The barrage left massive craters and charred residential buildings in its wake, prompting rescue workers to evacuate vulnerable residents from housing blocs with blown-out windows. Kuleba emphasized the critical nature of controlling the skies, asserting, “Because the one who controls the skies will define when and how the war will end.”
Kyiv has been urging Western support, specifically advanced fighter jets, to aid troops in the south and east. Responding to these calls, President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would deliver around 40 SCALP long-range cruise missiles and hundreds of bombs to bolster Kyiv’s efforts against the Russian invasion.
Despite international support, the conflict has reached a stalemate, with civilian casualties rising since December. The southern region of Kherson reported one person killed and another injured by Russian shelling. Kuleba urged patience, stating, “We are fighting a powerful enemy, a very big enemy that doesn’t sleep. It takes time.”
He highlighted Ukraine’s achievements, noting victories on land in 2022 and at sea in 2023. The focus for 2024, according to Kuleba, is to defeat the enemy in the air. President Volodymyr Zelensky echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for air superiority to enable progress on the ground.
NATO countries are currently training Ukrainian pilots on American-made F-16 fighter jets. Denmark has committed to transferring 19 F-16s in the second quarter of this year, signaling increased support. Russia, in response, announced that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would attend a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York next week.
Despite the challenges, Kuleba and other officials remain optimistic about the future. The situation on the Russian border is deemed difficult, but Oleg Gerasimov, a member of a volunteer defense group in Belgorod, expressed hope, stating, “We are hoping, believing, that the threat to our city and the whole country will end in the very near future.”
Source: AFP
