Ukraine has an Air Force, will they fight and die ?

[Reality Check]

If the Russia invades, the Ukrainian Air Force Headquarters, will be a first priority target, not to destroy, but to capture it intact. The Ukrainian AF headquarters is at the location of a large Soviet Era military air base, in south-central Ukraine near the Southern Bug River. It is also located adjacent to the best land route for getting a tank army, in a hurry, from the North Eastern Ukraine border to the south central Ukrainian border, next to Moldova.

The same location final destination for that tank army ( during phase I of an invasion, is in Ukraine, next to Moldova, siting on the land transportation/trade route between Odessa and the city of Lviv ( Lviv being located within the three Ukrainian Oblasts making up what was, for hundreds of years until countries were divided up at the end of World War II, known as the kingdom of Galicia ).

Will the Ukrainian Air Force pilots fly and die? Will they follow the Iraqi pilot's plan, and, if ordered to take off and fight, immediately head for a neutral country using after burners as soon as they get airborn?

Will they change sides ?

If they choose to fight and die, who, exactly, will they be die for?

Russia needs that air base.

It is just too inefficient for Russian fighter aircraft to fly missions over western Ukraine ( or western Moldova ) from air bases in the Crimea. Ukraine is a vast country, and when you start planning flying time to, and from, a dog fight, or bombing location, to central Ukraine next to Moldova, from Crimea, that becomes very, very evident.

So if there is an invasion, Russians will be coming for that air base.