What Happened to Russia’s Air Force? Fighter Pilot Reacts

About this video

Max analyzes why Russia’s air force (VKS) has largely failed to achieve air superiority in Ukraine. He examines Ukrainian air defense systems like Stinger MANPADs and Patriot missile batteries that Max argues have kept Russian aircraft grounded, reviews Russian fighter aircraft capabilities (Su-25, Su-30, Su-34, Su-35, Su-57), and discusses what Max identifies as VKS limitations: shortage of precision-guided munitions, lack of experience with large-scale operations, poor inter-unit communication, and insufficient pilot training hours (under 100 hours annually compared to Max’s own 150-250 hours).

Key takeaways

• Max reports that Russia has lost approximately 25% of its air force (about 1,000 of 4,000 aircraft) since the war began, according to unclassified sources he cites
• Max argues that Ukrainian systems like Stinger MANPADs (effective up to 10,000 feet) and Patriot batteries (100+ nautical mile range) have effectively deterred Russian close air support and prevented air superiority
• Max asserts that Russian pilots receive under 100 flight hours annually compared to the 150-250 hours he considers necessary for combat readiness, and that Russia lacks precision-guided munitions due to semiconductor shortages and prior use in Syria

Episode details: published April 17, 2025 · 44.8K views · 14:24 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The analysis and commentary described are Max Afterburner’s, attributed to him — his channel includes hypothetical-scenario and news-react content, which is presented as his analysis, not established fact.

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