Thread by @ChrisO_wiki

1/ The Russian Air Force's inability to protect its aircraft against Ukrainian drones is symptomatic of its neglected status within the Russian armed forces, according to a prominent milblogger linked to the air force. He says it is afflicted by "desperation and poverty". ⬇️

2/ The Fighterbomber Telegram channel, which is believed to be run by a former Russian Air Force captain, comments that "the [Aerospace Forces] Commander-in-Chief could not do anything in the current situation" because of a chronic lack of resources.

3/ "The Aerospace Forces Commander-in-Chief cannot even get themselves normal "Pantsirs" [anti-aircraft missile systems] in the required quantity to protect combat airfields. Which are subordinate to them.

4/ "They are not the ones who allocate money for shelters. They do not have it. They did not fuck up the fences, they were not forced to fight from unfinished and unready airfields, they did not distribute all the personnel to the space marines.

5/ "Even the shitty tires and "Jedi swords" were introduced out of desperation, poverty and lack of NVGs, heat guns, machine guns, searchlights, nets, shelters, etc., etc.

They rule with what they have. With what they are given.

6/ "The Aerospace Forces command has no weight in the Ministry of Defence crowd. The last and probably the only Aerospace Forces commander-in-chief over the past twenty-five years who had weight and authority was Surovikin [who was dismissed by Putin in August 2023].

7/ "Of course, there are worthy commanders, but everyone needs them not in director's positions, but to sweat for the good of the Motherland in the troops. On concrete."

8/ The 'poverty' of the Russian Aerospace Forces has been visible for a while. Following the Ukrainian drone attacks, air force personnel were reportedly ordered to erect anti-drone protections at their own expense, for lack of official funding.

https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1930167646525206929

9/ In March 2024, a Russian air force base made an urgent appeal for donations from the public after its last remaining forklift broke down under the weight of transporting bombs to aircraft. Individual pilots have also crowdfunded fireproof clothing. /end

https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1904099403524125176

Source:
t.me/fighter_bomber…