Ukrainian Armed Forces confirm downing of Russian A-50 and Il-22 aircraft over the Sea of Azov
The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhny, has confirmed the destruction of Russian A-50 and Il-22 aircraft. According to him, the Ukrainian Air Force downed an A-50 long-range radar detection and control aircraft, as well as an Il-22 airborne command post. "Thank you to the Air Force for a perfectly planned and conducted operation in the Azov region," Valeriy Zaluzhny wrote on his Telegram channel on Monday, January 15.
Ukrainian media had earlier reported the incident. Initial information was published on Monday by Yurii Mysiagin and Oleksandr Fedienko, members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
"The A-50 was shot down, and the Il-22 was hit, the latter attempted to reach the nearest airstrip while airborne but disappeared from radars after beginning its descent over the Kerch area," stated the Deputy Head of the Verkhovna Rada's Defense Committee, Yurii Mysiagin.
Subsequent reports by RBC-Ukraine, citing Ukrainian military sources, and by Hromadske, citing the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Directorate, confirmed this information. According to the media, the A-50 was shot down, and an Il-22M sustained damage. The A-50 vanished from radar screens and stopped responding to the calls of Russian tactical aviation, with a Russian Su-30 pilot later reporting "flames and descent of an unidentified aircraft," RBC-Ukraine says.
A source from the media also provided a supposed transcript of an intercepted conversation involving the Il-22M bomber's pilot requesting an emergency landing at Anapa airport.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not made any official comments regarding the attack on the aircraft. A Telegram channel close to the Russian defense ministry, Rybar, suggested "friendly fire" by Russian air defenses as one possible explanation for the incidents.
The A-50 is a Soviet-developed long-range radar detection and control aircraft. It carries radar equipment and is used for front-line reconnaissance, strike coordination, and adversary attack warning. According to official figures, Russia possesses less than ten of these aircraft, with each A-50 valued at approximately 330 million dollars.