Ukrainian forces down another Russian A-50 over Azov Sea
Ukraine solidifies control over Azov Sea airspace, downing a second Russian A-50 radar aircraft
On the evening of Feb. 23, Ukrainian forces shot down a second Russian A-50 aircraft over the Azov Sea.
Sources within the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed this as a joint operation by the Ukrainian Air Force and Defense Intelligence, as reported by news channel RBC-Ukraine.
The A-50 has been a key aircraft in Russia’s arsenal for long-range radar detection and control and significantly impacts their air capabilities. Russia originally had only nine such aircraft, and not all of them were in combat-ready condition. Therefore, this loss marks a substantial reduction in their aerial operations capacity.
On Jan. 14, Ukrainian forces achieved a similar feat, downing an A-50 and damaging an IL-22 over the Azov Sea. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi confirmed the destruction of these aircraft the next day.
Defense Forces of South Ukraine’s spokesperson Natalia Humeniuk, earlier emphasized the strategic importance of these downings. She suggested they could hinder future Russian missile strikes and demonstrated Ukraine’s control over the Azov and Black Seas airspace.
Recent social media footage shows a burning aircraft, suspected to be the downed A-50. The details of the incident remain unclear, with potential causes ranging from friendly fire to technical malfunction.
?✈️ The Russians are talking about the allegedly destroyed second A-50. pic.twitter.com/XN8I29h5xr
— MAKS 24 ??? (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) February 23, 2024
Source: Newsroom
