Russia's A-50 reconnaissance aircraft: New data on planes left
How many A-50 aircraft are left in Russia (Photo: russian media)
In Russia, there are still five operational A-50 reconnaissance aircraft remaining. They can carry out missions, however, after the Ukrainian Defense Forces shot down the second aircraft of this type, the enemy no longer flies them near Ukraine, according to the material titled "Air battle: How Russia loses aircraft and whether Ukraine actually faces air defense issues."
"According to our data, the Russians have 5 serviceable A-50s and A-50Us in their arsenal that can perform the tasks. But after the second A-50 was shot down, they no longer fly near Ukraine," according to RBС-Ukraine's source in the security services.
It's crucial to understand the role of this aircraft in Russia's military operations. The A-50 is not just a plane; it's a sophisticated tool that detects aviation, conducts reconnaissance of radar systems and air defense complexes, cruise missiles, and is capable of 'scanning' the sky up to a range of 500-600 kilometers.
It is recalled that starting from January, Russia lost two rare A-50U AWACS aircraft, which regularly conducted aerial reconnaissance in the area of the Sea of Azov.
Additionally, in the fall and winter of 2022-2023, aircraft of this type regularly took off in pairs with the MiG-31K over the territory of Belarus. But after partisans damaged an A-50 at the Machulishchi airfield, it was allegedly taken from there for repairs to Russia.
Russian A-50 aircraft in the war against Ukraine
Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force of Ukraine, reported that the movement of A-50 has not been recorded over the Sea of Azov for a long time.
He also noted that Russia may try to replace the long-range A-50 reconnaissance aircraft to replace those destroyed by Ukrainian defenders. However, it is important to assess the condition of the old Russian A-50 aircraft.
