Not to detract from you valid points (since I think these are important questions to ask) but the rebels do have a small airforce. Source: http://www.ibtimes.c

Not to detract from you valid points (since I think these are important questions to ask) but the rebels do have a small airforce. Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/pro-russian-rebels-have-air-force-made-old-soviet-aircraft-say-ukraine-officials-1799114 http://www.ibtimes.com/pro-russian-rebels-have-air-force-mad... "Kiev has claimed that Ukrainian troops have destroyed one separatist L-39 military trainer aircraft, two An-2 agricultural aircraft, one Yak-52 trainer airplane and four Mi-24 attack helicopters -- the latter being the most dangerous aircraft in the list, and the only ones built expressly for an armed role." Wikipedia also has a list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_United_Armed_Forces_of_Novorossiya#Aircraft https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_Unite...