> Ukrainian airforce got quickly overwhelmed in the first days of war
that's not strictly true. While russia has majority air superiority, they don't have complete superiority which prevents sorties from ukraine.
I think ukraine is fighting quite valiantly at the beginning, when the world expected them to lose. And the west probably was shocked at their actual performance (as well as the incompetence of the russian military). It was direct evidence that ukraine could at least hold out, which means the support and equipment from the west could have time to roll in.
Ukrainian air force is probably all destroyed by now. It's the Turkish drones that are still flying. They are easier to hide and don't need the same level of infrastructure that airplanes need.
I don't know if drones count as airforce or something else. It's just semantics.
Actually evidence shows up of more Ukrainian strike planes flying than before, mostly Su-25 and Su-24 caught on camera.
Also fighter force while heavily reduced was continuously flying sorties and helped deny air superiority to Russia, though due to numbers it wasn't as visible as the infamous SAM hits.
that's not strictly true. While russia has majority air superiority, they don't have complete superiority which prevents sorties from ukraine.
I think ukraine is fighting quite valiantly at the beginning, when the world expected them to lose. And the west probably was shocked at their actual performance (as well as the incompetence of the russian military). It was direct evidence that ukraine could at least hold out, which means the support and equipment from the west could have time to roll in.