Ukrainian military sources said that the Russian A-50 surveillance plane was shot down over Russia, precisely between the cities of Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar.
Ukraine's military destroyed a Russian A-50 surveillance plane, marking the second incident in just over a month.
“The A-50, known as 'Bayan,' has made its final flight,” Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk announced on the Telegram messaging app, emphasizing Ukraine's determined stance to counter sophisticated aerial threats.
Military sources, as reported by the Ukraine Interfax news agency, detailed that the A-50 found its destination over Russian territory, precisely between the cities of Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar. The joint operation, orchestrated by the air force and intelligence directorate, underlines Ukraine's strategic capabilities to neutralize Russia's advanced air assets.
Russian news agencies, citing emergency services in the southern Krasnodar region, confirmed the incident. Fragments of the downed plane were discovered in a swampy area of the Kanevskoy district, requiring the rapid response of firefighters to extinguish the resulting fire.
The official report made no direct reference to the A-50, raising questions about transparency around the incident.
This event follows Ukraine's previous claim in January, where its air force successfully destroyed a Russian Beriev A-50 surveillance aircraft and an Ilyushin Il-22 airborne command post in the Sea of Azov.
The repeated attacks against the A-50, an important airborne early warning and control aircraft that is capable of scanning several hundred kilometers for enemy aircraft, ships and missiles.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence directorate, had previously revealed to the Financial times that Russia possessed eight A-50s a month ago.
