Kyiv: Russia stops using A-50 reconnaissance planes over Sea of Azov after successful Ukrainian attacks
Ukraine's successful attacks on Russian A-50 early warning and control planes has compelled Moscow to reconsider their use in the ongoing war against Ukraine. Russian early warning and control aircraft, known by their NATO reporting name as "Mainstay," have not been used over the Sea of Azov for four days, said the Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson, Yuriy Ihnat, during a national news broadcast.
“The enemy now has reduced radar intelligence on Ukrainian air defense systems,” Ihnat said, hinting at a strategic Ukrainian advantage.
Ihnat further revealed that Russian fighters and bombers are being hit from greater distances, suggesting that Russian pilots no longer approach Ukrainian positions as boldly as before. This has offered Ukraine's Armed Forces opportunities to strike enemy aircraft further from the frontline.
More long-range missiles like Storm Shadow and Scalp are needed by the Ukrainian army to target military facilities within Russian-occupied Crimea, Ihnat stressed.
Recent satellite images have emerged from the crash site of a Russian A-50 in the Krasnodar region, downed earlier this month in a joint operation by Ukraine's military intelligence and armed forces. It is the second such aircraft destroyed by Ukraine since the beginning of this year.
Today, February 29, the destruction of two Russian Su-34 fighter jets has been reported in the Avdiivka and Mariupol regions.