Russians shared photo of damaged Il-22. Ukrainian military: Landed, but "resuscitation" won't help
Russian military propaganda shared a photo, purportedly showing the damaged Il-22 airborne command post, in Telegram channels. At the same time, Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat mentioned that the aircraft seemed to have landed but remains irreparable.
Ukraine's Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, confirmed the downing of two enemy aircraft: the Il-22 and the A-50 long-range radar detection plane.
Around the same time, the Air Force confirmed the information, adding an infographic listing the Il-22 and A-50 as "destroyed."
Later, a photo circulated online, claiming to show the damaged Il-22. Russians noted that the aircraft managed to land in Anapa.
"It seems the Il-22 did reach Anapa. A resilient creature. But, as you can see, 'recovery is not an option'. So, no matter how you turn it, the target is destroyed; recovery won't help! The aircraft was on fire, with injured crew members aboard," Ignat responded.
He emphasized that the A-50 was the Ukrainian military's priority, and "until today, destroying this aircraft seemed like an insurmountable task for the Air Force."
See also: Ukrainian Forces expose last flight of Russian A-50 – video