Ukraine shoots down Russian warplanes over Sea of Azov

Ukrainian forces have brought down two valuable Russian warplanes over the Sea of Azov, an A-50 early-warning aircraft and an Il-22 airborne command post, according to news reports. It is reported by Upmp.news with reference to “Polskie Radio”.

Ukraine shot down the two Russian military planes on Sunday night, the RBC-Ukraine news agency reported.

The A-50 is a rare, long-range “airborne early warning” (AEW) aircraft, according to officials in Kyiv.

Russia uses such airplanes during its missile attacks on Ukraine, to help its rockets bypass Ukrainian air defences, the RBC-Ukraine news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Il-22 is a valuable “airborne command post,” unreachable by missiles, from which “military forces can be controlled during combat operations,” according to military experts.

Ukraine’s RBC Radio posted what it claimed was an audio recording of an Il-22’s pilots radioing an S-O-S to controllers in Anapa, on the Russian side of the Sea of Azov coast. “Urgently requesting ambulance and fire crew,” the pilots said. @forbes #ukraine https://t.co/CbO2fT4htc
— David Axe (@daxe) January 15, 2024

Russia has now lost 329 aircraft and 324 helicopters since invading Ukraine in February 2022, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s polskieradio24.pl website reported, citing the General Staff in Kyiv.

Monday is day 691 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.

Source: polskieradio24.pl, RBC-Ukraine

A-50AEW Il-22 Russia Sea of Azov Ukraine war