A Ukrainian Mi-24 attack helicopter during military exercises in Ukraine in 2012.(SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/GettyImages)
Summary
The Ukrainian military's operation May 27 at the Donetsk airport highlighted its increasing reliance on its army aviation. In the most violent clash between Ukrainian forces and separatists so far, which came only hours after Ukraine elected a new president, Ukrainian forces were successful in driving out separatists from the airport. Ukraine will continue to rely heavily on its army aviation, which under certain conditions gives it a substantial edge against the separatists.
Analysis
At the start of the conflict, Ukraine's army aviation (literally its "ground forces air arm") officially maintained some 200 helicopters, mostly Soviet-era transport helicopters and gunships. In reality, 85 percent of the helicopter fleet was in storage and not airworthy. Repeated attempts at modernization prior to the conflict were stalled because of a lack of funds, and pilot training was meager -- pilots averaged 45-50 hours of flight time per year. Only a small cadre of Ukrainian pilots -- those participating in U.N.-led peacekeeping missions since the 1990s -- received substantial flight time and experience. Those pilots on average accumulated a healthy 80-120 hours of flight time per six-month rotation.
Friendly Fire and Vulnerabilities
Despite these problems, army aviation greatly increases a force's effectiveness -- but it is not a wonder weapon. There are several considerations that can significantly limit the use of Ukraine's helicopters. First, early in the conflict the Ukrainians had to contend with the possibility of their helicopters being shot at by their own forces. This is primarily due to the fact that Russia still uses helicopter types similar to those used by Ukraine, forcing Kiev to paint wide white stripes on the tail of the helicopters as a quick identifying mark.
It is not just Ukrainian helicopters that have to worry about friendly fire; Ukrainian troops on the ground may themselves have suffered casualties from their own army aviation. On May 22, separatists attacked a convoy of Ukrainian troops near the eastern town of Volnovakha, killing 16 soldiers. Army aviation responded to the attack, and there is some suspicion that a Ukrainian helicopter may have accidentally fired on its own side. In a chaotic battlefield with no fixed front lines, inexperienced crews and inadequate joint communication between aircrew and ground forces, the potential for friendly fire is high.
In contested airspace or in attacks against a force well equipped with air defense weaponry, moreover, even well-armored helicopters can be vulnerable. This is especially true with inexperienced Ukrainian army aviation pilots. At least three Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopters have already been lost to separatist fire, including two reportedly shot down May 2 by man-portable air defense systems while on missions near Slovyansk.
Under certain conditions, however, helicopter gunships can decisively impact the course of a battle. This was made very clear in the Ukrainian operation to clear the Donetsk airport.
A Devastating Assault
Largely devoid of civilians after separatists took over, the Donetsk airport essentially became a free-fire zone for the approximately eight Mi-24 attack helicopters dispatched to attack the separatist positions. The lack of friendly forces within the immediate vicinity early in the attack, the apparent absence of significant air defense weaponry, and the open nature of much of the airport gave a decisive advantage to the full use of the helicopter gunships. Sweeping in at low altitude in rotating attacks, the gunships made heavy use of unguided rocket strikes and strafing runs with their flexible gun mounts. The Ukrainian air force contributed to the attack with fixed-wing airstrikes.
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Equipped mostly with small arms and in largely static positions, the separatists appear to have taken heavy losses. One journalist counted 20 uniformed bodies in a city morgue in Donetsk, while local investigators reported at least 33 dead. The prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Borodai, said more than 50 rebels had died. The strikes extended to the populated area nearby. Collateral damage is almost unavoidable during such heavy strikes in urban terrain, and two civilians were reportedly killed.
Ukrainian ground forces have moved in to secure the airport. It is now largely under government control, though sporadic gunfire has been reported in the surrounding area, including near the local directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine. Invigorated by what he termed a clear mandate from the people, newly elected President Petro Poroshenko has vowed to accelerate and intensify operations against the separatists, even as he seeks a negotiated solution with Moscow and the eastern region. Negotiating amid an intensifying armed conflict is risky, and there are more worrying signs with reports that armed Russians from the Caucasus and elsewhere have begun entering eastern Ukraine to support the separatists.
The Ukrainian military will likely continue to rely on military aviation, ranging from transporting troops and materiel to conducting reconnaissance for strike missions. Similarly, and especially if negotiations fail to make progress, Moscow may increase transfers of air defense weaponry to the separatists to help them better counter Ukraine's army aviation.
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