Ukrainian Air Force confirms destruction of Russian A-50 aircraft
The Air Force confirmed the destruction of the A-50 aircraft (Photo: Getty Images)
The Russian aircraft A-50 with the call sign Bayan was destroyed by the Ukrainian Defense Forces on Friday, February 23, according to the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleshchuck.
"A-50 with the call sign Bayan ended badly!" wrote the commander.
Also, Oleshchuk decided to congratulate the occupiers on Happy Defender of the Fatherland Day.
He thanked the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense and everyone who contributed to the result.
Information from the Russians
Russian propaganda media reported that an "unidentified aircraft crashed in the Kanivska district of the Krasnodar Krai, and there is a fire at the crash site."
Later, the operational headquarters of the region claimed that allegedly two aircraft had crashed in the Kanivska district of the Krasnodar Krai. However, the Ukrainian side did not confirm information about the second object.
Earlier, sources of RBC-Ukraine in the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Ukrainian military shot down a Russian A-50 aircraft over the Azov Sea.
Additionally, one of the sources in a conversation with RBC-Ukraine specified that the aircraft was shot down in the area of the Russian Yeysk.
Destruction of A-50 and Il-22 aircraft of the Russian Federation on January 14
RBC-Ukraine, citing sources in the Armed Forces, reported on January 14 that the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down a Russian A-50 aircraft and downed an Il-22. On January 15, the destruction of the two aircraft was officially confirmed by the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Earlier, Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for the Defense Forces of the South of Ukraine, stated that the downing of the A-50 and Il-22 aircraft of the Russian Federation may postpone future missile strikes by the invaders. At the same time, she called the presence of full control by Ukrainian forces over the airspace of the Azov and Black Seas after the downing of Russian aircraft a loud statement for now.
On January 19, a Russian A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft was spotted in the Azov Sea. On January 21, it became known that the commander of the Russian aircraft died as a result of damage to the airborne command post Il-22 over the Azov Sea.
Read more about why the destruction of the A-50 is important and the uniqueness of this operation in the RBC-Ukraine material.
