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Russia and Ukraine battle daily in the sky. So where are the pilots?

Russia and Ukraine are waging a fierce war in the sky involving missiles, drones and air defense systems. Yet one thing makes this fight distinctive from previous air wars: pilots are extremely rare.
A woman walks past graffiti depicting a Ukrainian soldier firing a missile, in Kyiv on Jan. 25. The Russians are fighting an intense air war, but it involves mostly missiles, drones and anti-aircraft system. Traditional air strikes by piloted war planes have been relatively rare.

Russia and Ukraine are waging a fierce fight in the sky. Russia unleashes drones and missiles. Ukraine often shoots them down with its own missiles, and carries out its own drone strikes.

Yet one thing makes this battle distinctive from all previous air wars of the past century: pilots are rare. And this goes very much against the traditional perception of air combat.

" is Oscar-nominated this year for Best Picture. And here we are, watching an air war happening. And it looks very different from anything that we see in ," said , with, a Washington think tank.

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