Footage of Su-17s allegedly in Ukrainian skies appears online: have the planes been handed over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine?
Last week, a video of a Su-17 fighter-bomber flying over a person in a Ukrainian “pixel” was posted online. It gave rise to rumors that the air force had acquired a new type of aircraft.
The video is 8 seconds long. It is impossible to recognize the emblem applied to the aircraft. Experts pointed out that the weather in Ukraine is not the same as in the video. At the same time, they note that Ukraine could theoretically receive Su-22 (an export version of Su-17), as Poland has such aircraft.
Yesterday, a video of a Su-17 (Su-22 is the export name) flying over our military appeared.
Before the war, we had only one airplane of this type at our disposal, which was used for pilot training.
As of 2023, Poland had 12 Su-22M-4 and 6 Su-22UM3K, respectively. More ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/PohkcCKawT
– Serg (@NHunter007) November 11, 2023
At one time, Warsaw received 12 Su-22M4s and 6 Su-22UM3Ks. They were supposed to be decommissioned in 2024 as the F-35As were delivered. This means that all of them are in good working order.
Assuming that Poland has given some of its aircraft to Ukraine, we should not expect anything special from them. The Su-17 was developed in the 1970s. It can be used only in tandem with Western weapons, which do not require entering the kill zone of enemy air defense systems.
