The destruction of the russian A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft has dealt a significant blow to the enemy air force. The head of the Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, Kirill Budanov, said this in a commentary to the Financial Times , UNN reports .
Details
In particular, Budanov confirmed that the A-50 was shot down, but the Il-22 was heavily damaged and managed to make an emergency landing in Anapa.
He also explained that the number of such aircraft is critically small, so the destruction of each one is likely to affect the ability of the russian Federation to operate and maintain communication in the conflict zone "around the clock."
Only eight A-50s are in good condition
Addendum
In a commentary to UNN , military expert Mikhail Zhirokhov explained that the destruction of the A-50 and Il-22 is a significant loss for Russia, as these are expensive aircraft of the late Soviet period.
According to him, there are not many A-50s because it is a very expensive technology, and the aircraft itself is a late Soviet design, slightly modernized by the russians.
Recall
On January 14, it was reported that the Ukrainian military had shot down two aircraft, an A-50 and an Il-22, which were in the waters of the Sea of Azov.
Subsequently, on January 15, the downing of the planes was confirmed by the Chief Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. In particular, he shared a clip from a radar screen that appeared to show the planes disappearing over the sea and thanked the Air Force for "a perfectly planned and executed operation in the Azov region."