Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed 89 combat planes, 57 helicopters in Ukraine - Russian Defense Ministry

MOSCOW. March 9 (Interfax) - Eighty-nine combat planes and 57 helicopters out of the 250 combat aircraft in possession of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been destroyed by the Russian Aerospace Forces in the air and on the ground since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

"When the special operation was launched, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had up to 250 combat airplanes and helicopters in good working order. The Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed 89 combat planes and 57 helicopters on the ground and in the air," Konashenkov said.

"Some of Ukraine's [combat] planes have relocated to Romania and are not taking part in the fighting," he said.

"Ninety percent of Ukrainian military airfields, which accommodate the core combat aviation force, have been rendered inoperable," Konashenkov said.

"There are almost no qualified Ukrainian [military] pilots of the first and second class left," he said.

"As of today, we are observing only isolated attempts of the Ukrainian Air Force's combat aircraft to take off," Konashenkov said.