Dramatic video shows Ukrainian airport 'completely destroyed' by 8 Russian missiles as Zelensky rene

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: Business Insider

renews call for a no-fly zone

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that eight Russian missiles "completely destroyed" an airport in Vinnytsia, central Ukraine.

Zelensky described the missile strike as "brutal" and "cynical" in a video shared on social media.

Dramatic footage shows flames and plumes of thick black smoke rising from the site of the Ukrainian airport, 200 miles west of Kyiv, after the attack.

Link to tweet

Ukraine's parliament shared the video in a Twitter post. "The President called on the world to close the skies over #Ukraine and provide Ukraine with aircraft.," the post said.

Link to tweet

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/dramatic-video-shows-ukrainian-airport-completely-destroyed-by-8-russian-missiles-as-zelensky-renews-call-for-a-no-fly-zone/ar-AAUGNvI

[Evolve Dammit]

1. This is horrific on so many levels. Air power and anti-aircraft defense needed urgently.

[DallasNE]

6. This Was A Missile Strike

Air power is the wrong weapon for that. Cruise missiles fly under radar until near the target making them hard to shoot down.

[AntiFascist]

10. Patriot missiles are needed but these require months of training and logistics...

plus they could escalate things further, as if they haven't been escalated already.

I did hear one person in the know on SkyNews mention that if things escalate further, there could be a reason to setup a no fly zone over Western Ukraine for humanitarian reasons and to protect refugees relocating within Ukraine. I hope public opinion is changing.

[Evolve Dammit]

13. I was referring to needed equipment. They need all they can get.

[Tommymac]

2. No-Fly versus Potential Nuclear Escalation. Thanks reThugs and TFG. THIS IS YOUR MESS 💀

What a choice NATO will need to make sooner rather than later.

[Lonestarblue]

3. I suspect no help is coming.

I just read an article in the Washington Post about how the West is planning to support a Ukrainian government in exile after Putin takes over Ukraine. Why on earth make this public knowledge! There’s no better way to tell Putin to keep fighting because the West is ready to let him have Ukraine.

The Ukrainian people have fought so hard, and this is such a betrayal when sending planes and drones could help them win. If Putin occupies Ukraine, he will wait a year or so and then take Moldova and then the Baltic states. The West needs to deal with Putin now because he will just continue his aggression and his efforts to turn citizen against citizen in democratic countries. This is an opportunity to make Putin a loser. The West needs to take it or we will be dealing with similar wars for the next decade with thousands more people being murdered by Putin.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/03/05/russia-ukraine-insurgency/

[bluewater]

4. Some planes are going to be sent from Poland, no number on the amount yet.

The air imbalance is titled incredibly heavily in Russia's favor:

Notably, Russia has a far larger air force than its neighbor. Flight Global's 2022 World Air Forces directory lists Russia as having 1,511 combat aircraft, while Ukraine has just under 100.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/03/03/putin-overestimated-russias-military-ukraine-hes-still-threat-air-force-secretary-says.html

Not all of those are combat jets, but the ratio remains very daunting.

I hope we are talking about Poland providing a significant number of jets that can change the military balance.
In any case, any number of jets provided would be a plus, even if it's only for morale purposes.

EDIT:
Right now Poland only has 23 Mig-29's and 23 Su-22's or so in service.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Air_Force#Present-day_operations

How many can they spare during this war?

Sadly, this doesn't address the Russian missile forces or air defense formations that have already decimated Ukrainian air bases and combat aircraft.

[James48]

5. Anywhere there is a stretch of highway straight for 3,000 meters

Is a landing strip for many jets. Just because they bomb the airports isnt the end.

[RainCaster]

7. It must be perfectly flat too

Landing speed of those jets is closer to 200 mph. That landing strip must be damn close to perfect.

[ga_girl]

11. Doesn't have to be flat, in fact all major airports have slopes

Even for large commercial aircraft. Helps in draining water from the runway. If you look at YT you can find many videos of jet fighters using roads for landing and take off. Frequently A-10 or SAAB Gripen fighters. And of course helicopters don't require runways.

[bluewater]

8. You are forgetting fuel supplies, ammunition depots and repair facilities

So, no, any 3,000 meter strip of highway is not a replacement for a destroyed military airport.

[Wuddles440]

12. Exactly!

And this is why all those assets needed to be in place before this invasion and may have acted as a deterrent for Putin's aggression. Now their only hope is that they can somehow mount an effective insurgency.

[EndlessWire]

9. I think we can see the direction that Putin is taking now.

When he threatened that creation of a no-fly zone would mean that the countries involved would be at war with him, he is admitting that he needs that to win. I trust that the Ukrainians have analyzed that extensively and are asking for what they need to prevail. So, everyone seems to be agreed that it is what is needed. Even Russia is saying that.

We can make that happen for them, if we try. We can't let Russia control the narrative.