Ukraine reportedly shot down a Russian Beriev A-50 airborne early warning and control jet and an Ilyushin Il-22M airborne command post on Sunday evening.
The A-50 was shot down as it patrolled Zaporizhzhia’s Kyrylivka district, RBC Radio reported, citing sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“The A-50 disappeared from radars and stopped responding to requests from tactical aviation, and later the pilot of the Su-30 PKS of the Russian Federation detected ignition and the fall of an unidentified aircraft,” the outlet added.
Suspilne media also confirms the information about Ukraine shooting down Russia's Beriev A-50 AWACS and damaging Ilyushin Il-22M over the Azov Sea citing a source in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense pic.twitter.com/DZgHE9OT2c
— Giorgi Revishvili (@revishvilig) January 14, 2024
‘Damaged’ Aircraft Tried to Land
In another incident, a Russian Il-22M was damaged after being struck over Kherson’s Strilkovo district along the Azov Sea coast.
Subsequently, it planned for an emergency landing in the Russian town of Anapa on the Azov Sea’s southern coast and called for evacuation, an ambulance, and a fire truck, RBC Radio said.
The outlet released a purported recorded conversation between the aircraft’s pilot and an airfield controller to back its claim.
A few hours ago, someone apparently attacked two Russian aircraft over the Azov Sea: A-50 early warning and control and Il22-M command and control aircraft. The former is claimed to now be scuba diving, while the latter, well… the following audio recording emerged which… pic.twitter.com/SJScgH6doo
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) January 14, 2024
Dent in Russia’s Capabilities
If true, losing the $330-million A-50 is a significant loss for the Russian Air Force as it only possesses nine or 10, with only half reportedly operational.
Additionally, it would make flying Russian fighter jets closer to Ukrainian air space more difficult.
Of late, Ukraine has reportedly launched an anti-access counter-air campaign against the Russian air assets, shooting down a handful of aircraft last month with the help of the Patriot air defense system.
Aircraft Features
Russia’s answer to the Boeing E3, the A-50 is flown by a crew of 15 and features a rotating radar that provides 360 degrees of coverage for up to 250 miles (402 kilometers).
It provides command and control and situational awareness for Russian fighter jets and surface-to-air missiles and can spot jets, cruise missiles, and drones from an altitude of 12,000 meters (39,000 feet).
Russia has around 30 Il-22s that relay radio signals and coordinate front-line operations.
No Official Confirmation
Russia and Ukraine have not officially commented on the report.
However, some Ukrainian military officials hinted at the downings without providing details.
“Certain information will come from the Air Force, and we can note that we warned in advance of unfavorable combat weather conditions for aviation [Russian Federation] in the southern direction,” Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne quoted Ukraine’s Southern Defense and Security Forces Nataliya Gumenyuk as saying.
