Russia probably has MIGs flying over to maintain air cover. The comment implies limited air cover could be one of Russia’s weaknesses.
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Some of the vehicles in the column are reported to be mobile Air Defense vehicles. Generally they would be AA missile systems mounted on a tank chassis or a ZSU 23-4 with 4 23mm AA guns.
Putin’s Bet
www.city-journal.org/putins-bet
Observers have been puzzled to see Russian troops advancing into Ukraine without attaining air supremacy…From the U.S. perspective, Russia’s decision to pursue a ground invasion when the skies remain contested seems foolhardy. The American military strongly favors establishing air supremacy before committing ground troops to battle…
Russia’s military is instead built around ground-based heavy artillery. Much of the Russian force now invading Ukraine consists of “Battalion Tactical Groups” (BTGs). These formations of less than 1,000 men operate as much artillery as a U.S. armored brigade—a formation of about 4,500 troops—as well as air-defense, anti-tank, and multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) batteries…
This artillery-centric army would be nevertheless highly vulnerable to air strikes in the absence of air defenses, a weakness of which Russian military theorists have been aware since the last years of the Soviet Union, and which modern Russia has taken pains to address…Today, Russia operates some of the world’s densest and most sophisticated air-defense systems. The infamous S-400, which has been purchased by China, India, and Turkey, is one example, but progress has also been made in linking up older air defenses to modern target-acquisition systems. Every BTG also operates its own short-range air-defense systems…
DB2