Ukrainian military sources reported that Ukraine has successfully downed a Russian A-50 military spy plane, marking the second such claim in just over a month. The incident occurred between the Russian cities of Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar, over 200km (124 miles) from the front line.
Emergency services discovered plane fragments in Kanevskoy district and managed to extinguish a raging fire caused by the crash. Russia has not officially responded to the claim. Notably, Saturday marks two years since Russia initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Mykola Oleshchuk, the head of Ukraine’s Air Force, credited his service and military intelligence for their role in bringing down the plane—a long-range radar detection aircraft. He pointed out that the incident coincided with a significant Russian military holiday, Defender of the Fatherland Day.
Video footage circulating online captures the moment the plane appears to be shot down in mid-air, followed by massive flames and thick, dark smoke rising after the crash.
Emergency authorities in Krasnodar reported an aircraft crash near Trudovaya Armenia village in Kanevskoy district, and a subsequent fire was successfully extinguished. However, detailed information about the incident was not provided.
Amid the uncertainty, a Telegram channel with ties to the Russian military suggested the possibility of friendly fire being the cause of the plane crash. The Fighterbomber channel stated, “At the moment, it is unknown who shot it down.”
This marks the second claim by Ukraine regarding the downing of a Russian A-50, the first being on January 14. According to the UK’s Ministry of Defence, Russia is believed to have six operational A-50s in service. These aircraft, crucial for detecting air defenses and coordinating targets for Russian jets, come with a substantial construction cost, often reaching hundreds of millions of dollars.
Ukraine has faced challenges in making significant advancements against Russian forces in the southeast. In the previous incident last month, Ukrainian army officials reported the destruction of an Il-22 control center plane alongside the A-50.
