MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/. The staff of Ukraine’s Air Force have been practically eliminated by Russia’s Aerospace Forces and air defense systems, a military-diplomatic source told TASS on Monday.

"The entire qualified operating personnel of Ukraine’s former air force - of Mig-29, Su-27 and Su-25 aircraft - have been practically eliminated by the effective actions of the Russian Aerospace Forces and the air defense systems," the source said.

According to it, the West’s promises to deliver more Soviet-made combat planes will most likely remain unfulfilled. The source specified that Ukraine was forced to involve poorly trained air cadets for combat sorties which led to "catastrophic losses among the remnants of the Ukrainian aviation."

The source said that attempts to recruit more pilots in Poland and other Eastern European countries were not particularly successful. "The few who agreed are already in grave or in hospitals," he explained.