The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has analyzed Russian versions of the destruction of an enemy long-range radar detection aircraft A-50 and an enemy airborne control center IL-22, UNN reports.
Details
The Russian information space largely denied that Ukrainian forces had struck the A-50, but strangely claimed that the plane was destroyed by friendly fire from Russian air defense.
ISW notes that the A-50 is used to coordinate Russian aviation and possibly air defense, and the claim that Russian air defense shot down the A-50 would represent a catastrophic failure on the part of the Russian military if true.
A Russian source specializing in Russian aviation has accused Russian commanders of not having the proper experience required for their positions. It is noted that the current commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Colonel General Viktor Afzalov, has extensive experience in Russian air defense operations. The Institute's experts say that regardless of whether his lack of pilot experience poses any problems for Russian air operations, which is doubtful, his experience as an air defender should have been sufficient to make sure that Russian forces do not shoot down their own control plane.
A Russian insider source claiming to be a Russian security official claims that unidentified Russian actors created a "duck" (Russian term for false claims) about how Russian forces shot down the A-50 to reassure Russian pilots that missions over the Black and Azov Seas were still safe and that the incident was caused by human error.
The ISW wonders why Russian pilots should be comfortable with the idea that their ground-based air defense is so incompetent. kremlin spokesman dmitry peskov said he had no information about the downed plane and recommended that journalists check with the russian defense ministry for more details. In turn, the Russian defense ministry has not made an official statement regarding the doctors.
Recall
Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi reports that the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed an enemy long-range radar detection aircraft A-50 and an enemy airborne control center IL-22.