diff --git a/dev/airflow-github b/dev/airflow-github
index 8f893d8c05477..28d6b7ba83cdf 100755
--- a/dev/airflow-github
+++ b/dev/airflow-github
@@ -230,7 +230,14 @@ def compare(target_version, github_token, previous_version=None, show_uncherrypi
     github_handler = Github(github_token)
     milestone_issues: list[Issue] = list(
         github_handler.search_issues(
-            f'repo:apache/airflow milestone:"Airflow {target_version}" is:pull-request is:issue'
+            f'repo:apache/airflow milestone:"Airflow {target_version}" is:pull-request '
+        )
+    )
+    milestone_issues.extend(
+        list(
+            github_handler.search_issues(
+                f'repo:apache/airflow milestone:"Airflow {target_version}" is:issue '
+            )
         )
     )
 
diff --git a/dev/breeze/src/airflow_breeze/commands/release_candidate_command.py b/dev/breeze/src/airflow_breeze/commands/release_candidate_command.py
index 35e5405d9a98a..c05b067eefed3 100644
--- a/dev/breeze/src/airflow_breeze/commands/release_candidate_command.py
+++ b/dev/breeze/src/airflow_breeze/commands/release_candidate_command.py
@@ -164,6 +164,8 @@ def push_artifacts_to_asf_repo(version, repo_root):
             check=True,
         )
         console_print("Files pushed to svn")
+        # Remove old releases
+        remove_old_releases(version, repo_root)
         os.chdir(repo_root)
         run_command(["rm", "-rf", "asf-dist"], dry_run_override=DRY_RUN, check=True)
 
@@ -375,8 +377,5 @@ def publish_release_candidate(version, previous_version, github_token):
     os.chdir(airflow_repo_root)
     create_issue_for_testing(version, previous_version, github_token)
 
-    # Remove old releases
-    remove_old_releases(version, airflow_repo_root)
-
     console_print()
     console_print("Done!")