Despite the risk of continued damage to air power, Russian forces appear determined to pursue tactical victories in eastern Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian Air Force on March 2**, they managed to shoot down a Su-34 aircraft that launched a gliding bomb attack on positions in eastern Ukraine. The commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, then revealed that the Ukrainian army also tried to shoot down two more Su-34 aircraft and one Su-35, one of which was successfully shot down. Since February 17, Ukrainian forces have shot down 15 Russian planes.
In addition, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Colonel Yuriy Inat said that Russian forces have not deployed A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft over the Sea of Azov in the past six days since the destruction of an A-50 aircraft on February 23. He hinted that the absence of the A-50 aircraft forced the Russian Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft to strike closer to the target. Although the loss of Russian aircraft had forced it to temporarily reduce its aviation activity in Ukraine, the increase in Russia's aviation loss rate over the past few weeks has not prompted it to significantly reduce its tactical aviation activity.
On the other hand, since mid-February 2024, there has been a noticeable suspension of the delivery of North Korea** to Russia by sea. Russian ships have not docked at the North Korean port of Najin since February 12, which involves the movement of North Korean ammunition and ** to Russia by sea, according to the North Korea-focused **NK Pro. Previously, since August 2023, Russian ships have made at least 32 voyages between the port of Razin and the ports of Dunai and Vostochny in the Primorsky Territory of Russia. However, since February 12, satellite imagery has not captured another large cargo ship traveling between the two terminals, nor has it been found that there is new cargo at the port of Rajin. This suggests that the suspension may be due to production problems in the DPRK or other logistical problems. At the same time, North Korea may also transport to Russia by air or rail**. In addition, Russia has become increasingly dependent on the economic and military support of China and North Korea to sustain its war efforts in Ukraine.
On the international political front, Russian Prime Minister Sergei Lavrov has publicly rejected Turkey's proposal to hold a negotiating platform for Russia and Ukraine. Speaking at a meeting in Antalya, Turkey, Lavrov said that at the moment no initiative for dialogue in the interests of Russia is being considered. Lavrov and other Kremlin** often pretend to be open to negotiations, while shifting the responsibility for negotiations to the West. They demanded a dialogue initiative that takes into account Russia's interests as part of its long-term efforts to push the West to make preemptive concessions on the issue of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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