The Ukrainian air force says it shot down two high-value Russian aircraft earlier this week and now controls the airspace over the southeastern area of the country. On X, the military said it had taken out an A-50 long-range detection and control aircraft worth $330 million and an Il-22 aerial control center worth about $250 million. “I am grateful to the Air Force for the perfectly planned and executed operation in the Azov Sea region!” army chief Valeriy Zaluzhny said on the Telegram messaging app.
The military told media the Il-22 was downed just north of the Crimean Peninsula and the A-50 was shot down near the Sea of Azov. “Minus the enemy long-range radar detection aircraft A-50 and the enemy’s control post IL-22,” the military said. “The [Ukrainian] Air Force is guarding the skies of Ukraine.” Ukraine didn’t offer any proof that it had shot the aircraft down, but Russian military bloggers seemed to confirm it and its dire consequences for the Russians. “There are not many A-50s. And the specialists operating them are generally rare. If an aircraft of this type is hit, the crew will not be able to escape,” said Rybar, an influential pro-Russian military blogger with 1.2 million followers.
