Loss of Su-27 Highlights Rapid Decline of Ukraine’s Air Power

Russia's Aerospace Forces have destroyed a Ukrainian Su-27, a fighter Western analysts call one of the most irreplaceable aircraft still serving in Ukraine's depleted Air Force.

Photo: defenceimagery.mod.uk by RAF is licensed under This file is licensed under the Open Government Licence version 1.0

A Russian SU-27 Flanker aircraft photographed from a RAF Typhoon

A Fighter Ukraine Cannot Replace

The Su-27 is valued for its high payload and long range, which allow it to launch cruise missiles and conduct deep-strike missions. According to Military Watch Magazine, it remains the most capable fighter jet in Ukraine's arsenal, despite its age and dwindling numbers.

The aircraft entered service with the Soviet Union in 1984 and was inherited by Ukraine after the dissolution of the USSR. As Military Watch Magazine notes, the Su-27 was a cutting-edge platform in its first decade and pioneered a wide range of technologies. Today, however, it faces overwhelming disadvantages against modern Russian fighters.

"Using the Su-27 in air-to-air combat with Russian aircraft has consistently resulted in enormous losses for Ukraine's Air Force,” the outlet reports.

Russian fighters such as the Su-30SM and Su-35 significantly outperform the Su-27. A decisive shift, analysts say, was Russia's integration of new long-range R-77M air-to-air missiles on the Su-35, while Ukraine's Su-27s still rely on 1980s-era R-27 missiles that are easy to jam and have limited range.

Pilot Killed; Jet Lost in the Eastern Sector

Ukraine's Air Force announced on December 8 that the Su-27 had been shot down in the eastern direction of the front. The aircraft was flown by Lieutenant Colonel Yevhen Ivanov of the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade, who did not survive.

The next day, Russia's Ministry of Defense confirmed the destruction of the jet. While no details of the engagement were provided, media reports suggest the Su-27 may have been attempting to disrupt a Russian bomber strike near Dobropillia when it was hit by a Su-35 using a long-range missile.

Earlier Losses and a Shrinking Fleet

Russia previously reported the destruction of another Ukrainian Su-27 on October 22, shot down by air-defense units. According to military observers, Ukraine's stock of Soviet-era combat aircraft is rapidly approaching exhaustion: Su-25 attack jets "have not appeared for a long time,” Su-24 bombers survive "only in small numbers,” and operational Su-27s amount to no more than a dozen and a half.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian commanders are withholding American F-16 fighters from active combat and are not deploying French Mirage jets, reportedly to avoid early losses.