Ukrainian Forces Down Russian Reconnaissance Plane
In a statement, Ukraine's military confirmed the destruction of a Russian A-50 surveillance plane over the Sea of Azov in January, marking a second successful engagement against Russia's advanced airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk announced the recent takedown using the callsign "Bayan" via the Telegram app.
Reports from the Interfax Ukraine news agency suggest that the aircraft was targeted while over Russian soil near Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar, with the air force and intelligence units coordinating the mission.
Meanwhile, Russian officials in Krasnodar's southern region acknowledged finding aircraft debris and managing a fire in Kanevskoy district, without confirming the aircraft type.
The A-50, an asset since the late Soviet period, is capable of detecting enemy forces several hundred kilometers away. Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukraine's military intelligence, previously mentioned Russia's possession of eight such planes.