The Ukrainian military shot down two Russian command planes yesterday, in one of the most disastrous days for the Kremlin's air power since Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's commander-in-chief, said his air force destroyed an A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft and an Il-22 control center plane. Both were flying over the Sea of Azov on Sunday when they were hit at 9.10pm local time.
The A-50, which detects air defenses and coordinates the targets of Russian aircraft, crashed instantly, killing its crew. The heavily damaged Il-22 appears to have made an emergency landing at an airport in Anapa, Russia.
It is unclear how Ukraine managed to target and shoot down the planes. One theory is that a US-supplied Patriot anti-aircraft missile battery was used. This, however, would result in the system moving close to the front line where it could be detected.
Russian officials said they had “no information” about what exactly happened. Pro-Kremlin bloggers have suggested that the planes were hit by friendly fire or even shot down by a team of British SAS agents using surface-to-air missiles.
To know more
#War #Russia #Ukraine #Kiev #shoots #Russian #planes #Sea #Azov
