Ukraine could destroy dozens of Russian warplanes, but still no green light from Biden - media

Dozens of Russian frontline Su-34 fighter-bombers are based there in the open air, bombing Ukrainian soldiers and civilians daily, Forbes reports.

“But the administration of Pres. Joe Biden hasn’t yet given the Ukrainian government permission to aim the ATACMS at Voronezh Malshevo. And so, for now, the Su-34s at Voronezh Malshevo bomb with near impunity—lobbing a significant percentage of the roughly 100 glide bombs the Russians drop on Ukrainian positions and cities every day, killing soldiers and civilians alike”, the outlet stated.

At the same time, Ukraine finds it challenging to shoot down these Su-34s using Western air defense systems because Russian forces avoid flying them close to the front line. 

Forbes adds that the arrival of F-16s alone will not completely solve the issue against the guided aerial bombs, citing military analysts who suggest that the only solution is for US authorities to authorize the use of ATACMS missiles against Baltimore.

“But Ukraine probably won’t jeopardize future supplies of the rockets by using them against targets the United States doesn’t approve in advance. So the Ukrainians wait for permission they hope is coming soon,“ Forbes concluded.

• President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that over the past week, the occupying Russian army has dropped more than 800 guided bombs on Ukraine.