As combat losses continue to mount for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a Ukrainian lawmaker has made an audacious claim, alleging that a significant number of Ukrainian aircraft have been lost to friendly fire.

Maryana Bezuglaya, a member of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s unicameral Parliament), has claimed that half of the Ukrainian Air Force’s fighter jets and military choppers were brought down by the Ukrainian army’s own air defense systems. Bezuglaya wrote this on her Telegram channel.

“About half of the airplanes and helicopters are shot down by our air defense forces,” the lawmaker wrote, albeit without presenting any credible evidence. The lawmaker cited the crash of the F-16 Fighting Falcon in August last year to support her claims. She said that while the findings of the investigation into the crash have not been made public, several experts and officials have expressed suspicion that it was likely shot in friendly fire. 

“The results of the investigation were promised to be released ‘in the near future’ six months ago, but so far, there has been complete silence,” Bezuglaya wrote. 

The comments come a month after The Wall Street Journal published a report last month suggesting that the first F-16 that crashed in August 2024, shortly after being delivered to the Ukrainian Air Force, was likely brought down by the Patriot missile defense system operated by the country.

The sources cited by the report said that the accident may have been caused by the absence of the Link 16 friend-and-foe system, which was turned off on the Patriots before they were given to Ukraine.

Link 16 is a secure communication system that provides a real-time overview of military assets, including aircraft, ground units, air defense systems, and command centers. It plays a crucial role in preventing friendly fire incidents and improving pilot safety during combat operations. Since nobody had predicted that Ukraine would acquire F-16 fighter jets, the first Patriot missile batteries handed over to Ukraine in 2023 were not outfitted with Link 16. 

At the time of writing this report, neither the Ukrainian Defense Ministry nor the Ukrainian Air Force had acknowledged these claims.

According to Oryx, an open-source intelligence group that tracks wartime equipment losses, Ukraine has lost about 103 fighters and 52 helicopters in combat. Since this data is only based on visual verification, the actual number of losses could be much higher. 

Both Russia and Ukraine have lost aircraft to friendly fire on multiple occasions in more than three years of the conflict. Both countries have saturated their airspaces by deploying state-of-the-art air defense systems to deny air superiority to the enemy. However, one downside of this blanket air denial is sporadic friendly fire incidents.

Although Russia has become notorious for taking down its own fighter jets, Ukraine also has its fair share of friendly fire incidents. For instance, a Ukrainian MiG-29 Fulcrum was shot down by a Soviet-made but Ukrainian Army-operated 9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko) in January 2023. Before that, some media reports in February 2022 and June 2022 indicated that one Su-27 was lost in both friendly fire incidents. 

Ukraine’s AD Inventory Has Enlarged 

Ukraine’s air defenses have adapted to a constantly shifting threat environment and have demonstrated resilience in the face of three years of Russian air and missile attacks, most of which are now targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

When the war first broke out with Russia launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used the Soviet-era air defense systems in 2022 to fend off Russian missile attacks, primarily the medium-range NIIP Tikhomirov 9K37 Buk (RS-SA-11 Gadfly) and long-range NPO Almaz S-300 (RS-SA-10 Grumble).

However, by the end of 2022, Ukraine faced the terrifying possibility of running out of munitions since its supply of Soviet-era missiles was running low and could not be replaced. Ukraine’s NATO partners decided to strengthen its air defense against Russian attacks, and new surface-to-air missile systems and portable air defenses were pledged. Slovakia, for one, sent Ukraine its S-300 battery.

Following this, the United States and European nations sent Ukraine various Western short- and medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems.

Germany sent the first Gepard self-propelled air-defense artillery system, which offered a more economical method of countering UAVs, along with other air-defense artillery like the ZU-23-2. This delivery was made shortly before Russia began its campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in late 2022 by deploying swarms of drones.

After Russia launched its first large-scale attack on Ukrainian cities employing missiles and drones, Germany also delivered the first IRIS-T to Ukraine on October 11, 2022. It became the first country to deliver a Western air defense system after Russia unleashed a barrage of missiles ravaging Ukraine’s urban centers. It has been lauded by the highest echelons of Ukraine’s military for its combat performance since it became operational in Ukraine.

Ukraine also deploys the French-Italian SAMP/T Mamba surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, which was reportedly delivered to it in 2023. SAMP/T can destroy aircraft at a distance of 3 kilometers to 100 kilometers and ballistic missiles at a distance of 3 kilometers to 25 kilometers. France says that it is the first medium-range anti-missile system developed in Europe.

One of the most advanced air defense systems operated by Ukraine is the US-origin NASAMS, or National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System. This ground-based air defense system can defend against drones, helicopters, cruise missiles, and aircraft. The NASAMS was believed to have demonstrated a 100% kill rate in Ukraine. 

However, the most advanced air defense operated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces is the formidable Patriot, which has consistently demonstrated its capability by successfully intercepting a wide range of Russian weaponry, including aircraft like Su-34 fighters at distances of nearly 100 miles and missiles up to 130 miles away.

Not just that, the Patriot has also reportedly shot down multiple Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missiles that were previously projected as invincible by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Additionally, a US-made Patriot air defense system was responsible for shooting down a Russian A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control aircraft over the Sea of Azov on January 14 last year.

Besides the above-listed surface-to-air missile systems, Ukraine also deploys the French Crotale, the US-origin MIM-23 Hawk, and Aspide air defense systems, which have contributed immensely to shooting down a barge of missiles and drones unleashed by Russia.

Ukraine also operates a host of man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) that have been responsible for taking down Russian helicopters and low-flying aircraft throughout the three-year war.  MANPADS have been dubbed as a major ‘killer’ of its Su-35 and Su-34 fighters.

The war has also been a hub of innovation, as demonstrated by Ukraine’s use of hybrid air defense systems called ‘FrankenSAM’ such as the  US Sea Sparrow missiles integrated into Soviet-era Buk launchers and the US Sidewinder air-to-air missile coupled with a Soviet radar.

Having said that, this is not an exhaustive list of the many air defense systems that are deployed by Ukraine. EurAsian Times cannot confirm the claims that they have been responsible for taking down 50% of Ukrainian Air Force aircraft and helicopters. An explanation from the Ukrainian administration is awaited.

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