Older pilots volunteered to fly to protect younger ones when Russia attacked Ukraine.
Older pilots fly if a job is dangerous, according to one pilot.
Russia had been expected to destroy its air force.
The Washington Post reported that older Ukrainian pilots volunteered to fight Russia in order to protect younger pilots.
The Post's report, based on interviews with Ukrainian and Western officials, said that older pilots stationed at the Vasylkiv Air Base near Kyiv volunteered to fly on the day Russia invaded.
A Ukrainian fighter pilot who uses the call sign "Moonfish" told The Post that if there was a really, really dangerous mission, the older guys jump in the jets.
The older guys were responsible.
It's not clear how many pilots died when they volunteered to fight in the area. I don't know what age they were.
The Vasylkiv Air Base was targeted by Russia early on. The base was destroyed by Russia in March, according to the Ukrainians.
Russia was expected to have a quick victory in Kyiv, which would likely cause the rest of the country to fall. Russia was expected to control the skies of Ukraine.
Unexpected resistance from Ukraine prevented that from occurring. The Ukrainian air force moved some of its jets so Russia wouldn't hit them with missiles.
In the early days of the invasion, Ukrainian pilots at various air bases had to take off from runways that had been shortened because they had been bombed, according to The Post.
Russia focused on conquering eastern Ukraine instead of invading Kyiv in April.
Business Insider has an article on it.
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