Air Warfare over Ukraine and International Humanitarian Law

• Autorzy: Oleksandr Sotula , Mateusz Piątkowski

Warianty tytułu

Wojna powietrzna nad Ukrainą w świetle międzynarodowego prawa humanitarnego

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The Russian aggression against Ukraine involves extensive use of air power, proving that without the sufficient level of air control, the combat operations on the ground face significant operational challenges. The use of air power raises questions regarding the legality of the aerial actions conducted over Ukraine. This conflict in the air domain is characterised by separate campaigns. The first one was a battle over the air superiority of Ukraine, which was relatively short in time (February-April 2022), albeit intense, and lost by the Russian Air Force due to the inability to destroy Ukrainian air defence assets and Ukrainian military aviation. The second one, still in progress at the moment this article is being written, looks to become an unresolved contest of attrition, as both belligerents vastly increased their air disruption capabilities. In particular, during the last period of the first phase, it is believed that many of the Russian air strikes were, in fact, indiscriminate or deliberately directed against civilian objectives. The aim of the article is to analyse the overall conduct of the air war over Ukraine and pinpoint the legal challenges in assessing the legality of such air operations. In the context of available information, the paper will seek to understand the legal framework concerning the destruction of the An-225 at the Hostomel airport during the first phase of hostilities, the use of certain aerial weapons, and the selection of targets. (original abstract)

Rozpoczęta 24 lutego 2022 roku agresja rosyjska przeciwko Ukrainie objęła jako kluczowy element walki zbrojnej działania lotnictwa wojskowego. Od 1939 roku celem każdej strony w konflikcie zbrojnym jest zdobycie przewagi w powietrzu jako czynnika warunkującego sukces operacji lądowej. Kampania nad Ukrainą może być podzielona na dwa etapy. Pierwszy to walka o przewagę powietrzną, odbywająca się w lutym - kwietniu 2022 roku, która zakończyła się porażką rosyjskiego lotnictwa niezdolnego do zniszczenia zasobów powietrznych lotnictwa ukraińskiego oraz ukraińskiej obrony przeciwlotniczej. W ramach walk miejskich jakie miały miejsce podczas tej fazy uważa się, że wiele z bombardowań powietrznych wykonywanych przez lotnictwo rosyjskie nosiło znamiona naruszających zakaz bombardowań bez rozróżnienia, bądź bezpośrednio wymierzonych w ludność cywilną. W dalszej części konfliktu, przeszedł on od fazy wojny manewrowej do statycznego konfliktu na wyniszczenie, w którym żadna ze stron nie jest w stanie wystarczającej przewagi nad drugą. Zjawisko wojny powietrznej jest regulowane odpowiednimi normami międzynarodowego prawa humanitarnego (prawem wojny powietrznej). Artykuł ma na celu zbadać przebieg kampanii powietrznej nad Ukrainą w kontekście prawnym, wskazując na wyzwania i trudności związane z praktycznym stosowaniem prawa wojny powietrznej, analizując wybrane przypadki takie jak zniszczenie An-225 na lotnisku Hostomel w pierwszych chwilach konfliktu, dobór broni stosowanych przez strony oraz wybór celów. (abstrakt oryginalny)

Słowa kluczowe

EN

War in Ukraine; Aggression; International humanitarian law; International law; Air fleet; Aviation

PL

Wojna w Ukrainie; Agresja; Międzynarodowe prawo humanitarne; Prawo międzynarodowe; Flota powietrzna; Lotnictwo

• Czasopismo: Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Iuridica
• Rocznik: 2024
• Numer: nr 106 Russian Aggression Against Ukraine: The Fall and Rise of International Law
• Strony: 13--33

Twórcy

autor

Oleksandr Sotula

• Kherson State University, Ukraine

autor

Mateusz Piątkowski

• University of Lodz

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Identyfikatory

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18778/0208-6069.106.02