The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi confirmed the destruction of the A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft and the Il-22 air control center of the Russians.

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"Thank you to the Air Force for the excellently planned and conducted operation in the Azov region!" the army commander said on Telegram.

Information about the downing of the planes appeared on Sunday evening. According to preliminary data at that time, the A-50 squadron was destroyed in the air, and the IL-22M11 managed to leave the affected area and disappeared from radars in the area of temporarily occupied Kerch.

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The morning after the news, Air Force commander Mykola Oleschuk hinted that this was true and announced revenge against the Russians for the missile attack on a high-rise building in Dnipro on January 14, 2023.

The Russians hinted that the strike could have been mistakenly carried out by Russian air defense, which was defending Crimea.

In addition to Zaluzhnyi, the downing of two enemy planes was confirmed by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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Photo: Air Force
REFERENCE
Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft A-50 is equipped with an air early warning and control system that detects distant air targets. These systems can see the launches of cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as the operation of air defenses. Today, the Russian space forces are armed with nine A-50 aircraft and four modernized versions – A-50U. Il-22M is an air command post from which troops can be controlled during hostilities. An aircraft of this type is in the air and cannot be hit by operational-tactical missiles. According to the Military Balance 2022 guide, at the beginning of the full-scale war with Ukraine, Russia had 12 Il-22M aircraft and 10 Il-22 (older modifications).

January 14 was the first anniversary of the Russian attack on a high-rise building in Dnipro. At that time, 46 people died, including six children, and about 80 people were injured. 450 rescuers who worked in 12-hour shifts were involved in the search and rescue operation. 36 people were rescued from the rubble, and the search and rescue operation lasted almost 70 hours.

aircraftwaraviationValerii ZaluzhnyiAir ForceA-50Il-22