Incredibly, the Russian air force has lost another one of its rare Beriev A-50M/U Mainstay radar early-warning planes. Video that circulated online on Friday reportedly depicts the A-50’s burning wreckage in Krasnodar Krai, in Russia just east of the Sea of Azov.
The location of the crash, at least 120 miles from the front line in southern Ukraine, could indicate the four-engine, 15-person radar plane either suffered a mechanical failure—or took a hit while operating closer to the front and tried to make it back to its base in Krasnodar before exploding.
For what it’s worth, the Ukrainian air force claimed it shot down the A-50 with assistance from the intelligence directorate in Kyiv.
Either way, it’s a devastating blow for the battered Russian air force. The air arm has lost, mostly to Ukrainian long-range surface-to-air missiles—American-made Patriot PAC-2s, in particular—nine of its best planes in just a month. Including an A-50 that the Ukrainians hit over the Sea of Azov in January.
I’m unsure how to take the title.
Is it implying some random country is shooting them down with a “I wonder who?/s” kind of tone?
Or rather a “Russia is poorly trying to hide the magnitude of their military power”?
Either Ukraine or Russia(accidental friendly fire) shot it down. It was probably Ukraine, risking one its few precious patriots and moving them close to the front. Ukraine is trying to shape the battlefield for the arrival of the F-16, so shooting down flying radar planes is very desirable.
Generally these radar planes are not only rare but extremely valuable for Russia’s war efforts.
There is a video of this plane being shot down, word on the street is it was hit with a combination of Ukrainian anti air and a Patriot missile.
It drops countermeasures for a while, appears to stave off the first missile but can’t with the second.
I’m unsure how to take the title.
You know, usually the answer to such a question, as is the case here, is answered simply by reading the article.
Even the blurb in this one makes it obvious that it was American made Ukrainian missiles that have been widely responsible for this, but that they don’t know whether this went down to a mechanical failure. And it seems that the gist of this is that they’ve now lost 22% (2 of 9) of this fleet which is important part of their air force, and that the loss of the trained troops might even be more devastating part of the loss.
