Russia slow to win Ukraine’s airspace, limiting war gains

By ROBERT BURNS
AP National Security Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia’s failure thus far to win complete control of Ukrainian airspace has been a surprise, given Russian military strength and the importance of dominating the skies. A possible explanation is that President Vladimir Putin built his war strategy on an assumption that Ukrainian defenses would easily fold. That would have allowed Russian forces to quickly capture Kyiv, the capital, while also crushing Ukrainian forces in the east and south without having to achieve air superiority. But that didn’t happen. Still, the war’s overall trajectory five days into the fighting seems to favor the Russians, at least militarily.