Ukraine says shot down two Russian command aircraft in blow to Moscow
Al Jazeera
The A-50 and IL-22 play a central role in orchestrating Russian battlefield movements in Ukraine.
Ukraine has said it shot down an A-50 Russian reconnaissance plane and an Il-22 airborne command post in a potentially significant blow to the Kremlin’s forces.
Ukrainian army chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi announced the aircraft had been hit on the Telegram messenger on Monday, posting a video of a tracking map suggesting the planes were struck over the Sea of Azov, which lies to the east of the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.
“I am grateful to the air force for the excellently planned and conducted operation in Azov region!” Zaluzhnyi wrote.
Hours after Zaluzhnyi’s statement, a Russian military blog posted an image of the shrapnel-riddled tail section of an Il-22 standing on the tarmac and lauded the crew as “real heroes”.
Kyiv’s Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat reposted the image, saying the plane appeared to have made it to the Russian town of Anapa but that it was beyond repair as it had been on fire. He added that the A-50 had been Kyiv’s priority target.
