Ukrainian aviation needs to be strengthened, not only in terms of attack aircraft, but also in terms of attack helicopters, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat has said on the air of the news telethon.
Ihnat was following up on an interview with Oleksandr Syrskyy, who said that Kyiv needs more military aircraft, such as US A-10 attack aircraft to support the infantry.
"Air support for the troops is indeed extremely important for the infantry, who are fighting very difficult battles every day. Today, this function is performed by the Su-25, Mi-8 and Mi-24 of the army aviation. Ukraine needs to focus on getting our partners to provide us with various means, including air defence, artillery and aircraft. We may not even be talking about the A-10, but about Apache or Black Hawk attack helicopters, which could significantly strengthen the army aviation," Ihnat said.
However, the main goal for Ukraine remains the F-16 fighter jets, which will give Ukrainian pilots air superiority and allow them to strike the enemy from both the air and the ground.
Earlier, Ukraine's Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyy said in an interview with Reuters that Kyiv needs more military aircraft, such as US A-10 attack aircraft, to support the infantry. Ukraine also needs aircraft that can fire long-range cruise missiles.