“A-10’s would be toast”.
Let me explain modern air combat. The A10’s don’t go by themselves. The first step is a large package of air to air fighters with dual role SAM suppression wild weasels. They are tasked with “owning” a certain area of airspace for a given period of time. Usually an AWAC and a tanker is closeby too. If anything flies into that airspace, it dies. The wild weasel package it there to blow up any SAM missile sites. Trust me, they are very effective. Once the battle space is secure, then the A10’s arrive and rain down hot death from above, under the watchful eyes of their “top cover” best buddies. It’s all quite spectacular...
You’re making my point. Just “sending in” some A10s means all out war. We are not going to go take out the Russian air force in Putin’s back yard. Can we spell DEFCON?