Ukrainian forces destroy Russian A-50 radar plane over the Sea of Azov
Photo: State TV and Radio Company of Belarus/AP
On the Sunday evening of January 14, Ukrainian soldiers shot down a Russian A-50 aircraft over the Azov Sea.
The Ukrainian military also brought down an Il-22M11 airborne command post, Rubryka reports, citing RBC-Ukraine.
Citing sources in the Armed Forces, RBC reported that the A-50 plane was shot down immediately after it took its turn in the area of Kyrylivka around 21:10-21:15 on January 14. The A-50 disappeared from radars and stopped responding to requests from tactical aviation. Later, the pilot of the Russian Su-30SM jet detected a fire and the fall of an unidentified aircraft.
The Il-22M11 was on duty in the area of Stroilivyi and was ultimately shot down along the coast of the Azov Sea around 21:00 on January 14. After being hit, the aircraft planned to land in Anapa, requesting evacuation and calling for an ambulance and fire trucks.
Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Parliament Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence Yurii Mysiahin reported that Ukrainian units opened fire on two Russian aircraft around 21:00 on January 14. The long-range radar surveillance aircraft A-50 and Il-22M were flying over the Azov Sea.
As a result, the A-50 was shot down, and the Il-22M was damaged. Mysiahin stated that it was in the air, attempting to reach the nearest airfield, but disappeared from radar after starting to descend in the Kerch area.
In related news, on December 22, the Ukrainian military destroyed three Russian Su-34 fighter jets on the southern front.
Later, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat noted that Su-34 had long been included in Russia's loss statistics. According to him, this aircraft is one of the latest models in the Russian army and can cost around $50 million.
Russian Su-34 bombers were likely shot down in Ukraine's south by the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, which was moved closer to the front, specifically to the Kherson region.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksii Danilov stated that the Ukrainian military had been "hunting" Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers in the south for a long time.
On December 24, the Air Defense Forces of Ukraine destroyed two Su-34 and one Su-30 bomber jets.
Even more Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft were lost only during the Prygoshin mutiny. Then, during the entire war, "Wagnerites" became the first to shoot down an Il-22, of which Russia had no more than ten. During the march on Moscow, Wagnerites shot down the valuable and rare Il-22 aircraft of the Russian army, marking the first case of eliminating such aviation during the war.
