Kyiv. Ukraine said it shot down a 274 million pound (Rs 2,792.8 crore) Russian spy plane in a “perfectly planned and executed operation” over the Sea of Azov on Sunday night. The BBC quoted Ukrainian army chief General Valery Zaluzhny as saying that the air force had “destroyed” an A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft and an Ilyushin Il-22 air control center.
The Soviet-era A-50 aircraft has the ability to detect missiles and enemy jets and can also be used as an aerial command centre. The BBC said Russia probably has six operational A-50s in service. Justin Bronk, an air warfare specialist at Russian defense think tank, told the BBC that if confirmed, the loss of the A-50 would be a “highly operationally significant and shameful loss” for Russia’s air force.
Russian officials have denied any “knowledge” of the attacks, but prominent pro-war Russian commentators have said the loss of the A-50s would be significant in this war. But Ukrainian media, quoting government officials, confirmed that the plane had indeed been shot down.
The country’s RBC radio even claimed that it was an audio recording of the Il-22 crew sending an SOS radio to the controllers. According to Forbes, the crew said, “Immediate ambulances and fire brigades are being requested.” The recording of the conversation has also been posted on social media.
A few hours earlier, someone apparently attacked two Russian aircraft over the Sea of Azov: an A-50 early warning and control aircraft and an IL-22-M command and control aircraft. The first one is claimed to be scuba diving now, while the second one, well… the following audio recording has surfaced which… pic.twitter.com/SJScgH6doo
– WarTranslated (Dmitry) (@wartranslated) 14 January 2024
The four-engine, propeller-driven Il-22 carries 10 people and helps relay radio signals and coordinate front-line operations, the Kyiv Independent said. Details about the weapons allegedly used to shoot down the plane have not yet been revealed.
In February last year, another Russian A-50 was shot down by two drones over a Russian airbase in Belarus. Another A-50 aircraft was shot down by anti-government activists supporting Ukraine in Belarus. The aircraft had been used to detect bombing targets for the Russian Air Force since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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Tag: Russia, ukraine
first published : 15 January 2024, 9:01 PM IST
