A-50 and Il-22 aircraft usually worked in pairs and performed tasks related to reconnaissance and monitoring of air defense systems. This was stated by military expert Mykhailo Zhyrokhov in a commentary to UNN.
The A-50 is a long-range radar detection and control aircraft, the expert reminded.
It is these planes that allow the Russians to see the operation of air defense systems, the operation of tactical weapons, the operation of our airplanes and helicopters over a huge area - in fact, over the entire territory of Ukraine. These aircraft are usually in Russian airspace, and it was virtually impossible to destroy them. Although there have been examples of what was destroyed in the Bryansk region last May. These aircraft allowed the Russians to monitor air defense very actively
Zhyrokhov recalled that the single "shahids" launched by Russia, which were followed by massive missile strikes, were intended to detect air defense, and the A-50 aircraft recorded everything.
"They recorded the presence of air defense, and then the next night or on the same day, either ballistic missiles or air-launched missiles would arrive - this is the connection, it worked. In addition, these aircraft were used to guide their own aircraft. That is, the strikes of these Su-34s with guided bombs were all launched from this flying command post. The Russians have not yet completed the process of directly communicating with the ground forces, so the Il-22 always flew with the A-50, meaning that the information that came from the A-50 and was transmitted to the Il-22 and then through other channels was transmitted to the ground forces. That is, this linkage - the air force and the ground forces - was practiced with the help of the Il-22," the expert explained.
What is known about the downed Russian A-50: the Defense Forces gave characteristics15.01.24, 01:55
Zhyrokhov said that the downing of the two planes was a "quite powerful" loss. He noted that there are not many A-50s, it is a very expensive technology, and the aircraft itself is a late Soviet design, somewhat modernized by the Russians. Such aircraft are used cautiously, the expert noted.
"Why did the Russians let them down so close to the front line? There must have been some deceptive maneuvers, or something acted as a bait, I think. We probably don't know the circumstances, but most likely some information was thrown in, for example, that there was a Petriot there, and in order to find it, they moved 20-30 km closer, which was enough to hit the same Petriot," the expert suggested.
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.
On January 15, the destruction of the planes was confirmed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.