Ukraine said on Monday it had destroyed a Russian Beriev A-50 spy plane and an Ilyushin Il-22 air command post in the Sea of Azov region, dealing a blow to Russian military operations in occupied southern Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed the enemy’s A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft and the enemy’s IL-22 air control center,” military chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
“I thank the Air Force for the perfectly planned and executed operation in the Sea of Azov region!”
Reuters could not independently verify the statement.
Russia’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.
Ukraine’s defense ministry valued the A-50 aircraft at $330 million.
Kyiv’s statement did not say how the plane was destroyed.
The A-50, which first entered service at the end of the Soviet era, is a large Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft that can scan an area of several hundred kilometers for enemy aircraft, ships and missiles.
Ukraine said it destroyed a Russian Beriev A-50 spy plane and an Ilyushin Il-22 air command post in the Sea of Azov area. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Several Russian military bloggers said the downed aircraft would be a huge loss for the Russian air force, as there are a limited number of aircraft in service.
“It will be another dark day for the Russian Aerospace Forces and Air Defense,” wrote Rybar, a blogger with nearly 1.2 million subscribers who supports and comments on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“There aren’t many A-50s. And specialists who handle it are generally rare. If this type of aircraft is hit, the crew will not be able to escape.”
Local residents look at a crater near their residential building damaged during a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in the town of Shostka, Ukraine’s Sumy region January 13, 2024. REUTERS
It is unclear how many A-50s Russia has in service.
The London-based IISS think tank said in a 2021 report that Russia has nine A-50 aircraft in service, including four modernized A-50U aircraft.
The Russian defense ministry said earlier last year that the modernized A-50U had carried out missions during the war in Ukraine.
The aircraft, which uses the NATO reporting name Mainstay, can detect more than 300 targets simultaneously, he said.
It can detect and track missile launches at a range of 800 km (497 miles) and land and sea targets at 300 km (186 miles).
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
