Ukraine Has Put ‘Fear Into the Russian Pilots,’ Top U.S. General Says

 Russia is struggling to wield its military might ahead of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, says Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, set to become the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Ukraine’s Western-backed air defenses have put “fear into the Russian pilots,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown said Wednesday, offering a dismal assessment of the Kremlin’s air force going into Ukraine’s highly anticipated spring offensive. 

Speaking at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Brown touted Ukraine’s ability to wield the Patriot surface-to-air missile systems that the U.S. and other NATO countries have provided, as well as other elements of its defense against the airstrikes that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military has dramatically increased in recent weeks.

Though difficult to confirm independently, Ukrainian and Western officials have stated that Kyiv’s Patriots and other missile shields have successfully defended against most of the recent attack drones, rockets and missiles that Russian forces have launched at Ukraine’s city centers and military hubs – on occasion claiming to have defended against 100% of them.

Brown, who is set to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when Army Gen. Mark Milley steps down in the fall, says Ukraine’s ability to wield these defenses and relocate them swiftly undermines what should be a critical component of the Kremlin’s military plans.