Russia may try to recommission A-50 aircraft: British intelligence
Photo: Russia may try to dismantle A-50 aircraft (Russian media)
Russia may attempt to recommission previously mothballed long-range radar detection and control aircraft, the A-50, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
According to intelligence reports, a week after losing the second A-50, Russia has likely suspended their flights. This will continue until the terrorists conduct internal investigations into the inability to protect these aircraft, as well as how to reduce the ongoing threat posed by Ukrainian air defense.
"The loss of this capability providing daily command and control to Russian air operations highly likely significantly degrades the situational awareness provided to air crews. This is a capability gap Russia can ill afford over the contested airspace of eastern and southern Ukraine," intelligence notes.
It's quite likely that the terrorist country will have to explore options to overcome this gap by reprofiling aircraft and accepting greater risk to ensure effective air support needed by enemy ground forces.
"This is a prolonged issue (enemy's ground troops do not receive necessary support, - ed.) that has almost certainly been exacerbated by the removal of A-50s supporting operations," intelligence states.
It is quite likely that the enemy will attempt to reactivate previously decommissioned A-50 aircraft to alleviate the aforementioned problem.
Destruction of Russian aircraft
As Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat stated today, the destruction of enemy aircraft and the presence of our military's long-range complexes are a significant psychological factor for Russian pilots. Meanwhile, the enemy has not deployed the A-50 for the sixth consecutive day.
"It is quite a good and pleasant fact for us that the occupiers do not know how to further use those aircraft when they can go 'one after another' following the Russian ship," explained Ihnat.
Over the past two weeks, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have destroyed several Russian aircraft:
- on February 17, the Air Force destroyed three Russian aircraft - two Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter;
- on February 18, the Ukrainian Armed Forces "landed" a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber in the east;
- on February 19, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk announced that the Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down two more Russian aircraft in the east;
- another Su-34 was "landed" by the military on February 21;
- on February 23, a Russian A-50 aircraft was shot down over the Sea of Azov. This is the second A-50 destroyed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces since the beginning of the war;
- another two Su-34s were shot down on February 27;
- on February 29, as Oleshchuk explained, our military destroyed a Su-34 on the Eastern front and two more Su-34s on the Avdiivka and Mariupol fronts.
