2024-01-16 09:09 Compiled by Lianhe Daily: Xu Yuhan/Real-time reporting
The Ukrainian military stated on the 15th that it had shot down a Russian early warning aircraft and air command aircraft over the Sea of Azov, severely damaging the Russian Air Force’s combat capabilities and military operations in the occupied areas of southern Ukraine.
The Guardian reported that Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi said that the Ukrainian Air Force destroyed an A-50 early warning aircraft (Beriev A-50) and an Ilyushin Il-22 bomber serving as an air command post. The two military aircraft flew over the Sea of Azov at 9:10 pm local time on the 14th.
The A-50 early warning aircraft, responsible for detecting air defense systems and coordinating targets of Russian military aircraft, crashed immediately after being hit by the Ukrainian army, killing all crew members. The severely damaged Ilyushin Il-22 bomber appeared to have made an emergency landing at an airport in Anapa, Russia.
Ukraine did not say how the planes were destroyed, but one theory is that the Ukrainian military used Patriot air defense systems provided by the United States. However, this requires moving the system closer to the front line where it can be detected.
Some Russian military bloggers pointed out that the downing of this aircraft may cause huge losses to the Russian Air Force, because there are only a limited number of this aircraft still in service.
The British Ministry of Defense pointed out that the Kremlin has only six A-50s in active service, each costing US$330 million (approximately NT$10.3 billion). In February last year, an A-50 deployed in Belarus was damaged by a drone attack.
The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed a Russian A-50 early warning aircraft, which cost approximately US$330 million each.Associated Press Ukraine Russia Russia-Ukraine War
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2024-01-16 01:09:07
