For the Ukrainian Air Force, last week was perhaps the most successful since the start of the Russian invasion: in just over a week, the Ukrainians apparently shot down eight modern Russian military aircraft.
According to the head of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleshchuk, the latest success from Kiev's perspective occurred on Friday, just before four o'clock in the afternoon: the Ukrainians shot down a Russian A-50 reconnaissance plane over the Sea of Azov – the counterpart of NATO Awacs Aircraft. “The A-50 with the call sign Bayan completed its last flight,” Oleshchuk wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The aircraft, equipped with multiple radar and radio systems, intercepts radio messages and identifies missile launches and targets in Ukraine for Russian bombing attacks with its ten-man crew, according to Ukrainian information.
Nothing has been officially said yet about the Ukrainians shooting down an A-50 for the second time in just a few weeks.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy tried to quell speculation that Patriot missiles were used in the launch. “Ukraine neither has the opportunity nor the right, nor will it ever have, to use weapons from partner countries in areas outside the currently occupied regions of the country,” Zelensky said. It cannot be ruled out that Patriot missiles were used. There was also speculation in Ukrayinska Pravda about the use of a projectile from a modernized Soviet S-200 anti-aircraft system.
The A-50 aircraft would have a unit price of 350 million dollars; Russia should now have just nine more aircraft of this type. The first A-50 was shot down by the Ukrainians on January 14th. In the days before the A-50 was shot down, Ukraine apparently took two Russian Su-35s and five other Su-34 fighters out of the sky.
Ukraine also uses its “Patriot” systems to shoot down Russian aircraft
The shooting down of the A-50 on Friday was also the subject of intercepted radio messages from presumably Russian pilots and was confirmed by Russian military blogger Fighterbomber: its author is considered to be Russian Air Force captain Ilya Tumanov. Russian state news agency Novosti also reported a plane crash.
Ukraine has been using its Patriot systems not only to shoot down Russian supersonic missiles such as the Kinschal, but also to shoot down Russian aircraft since May 2023. The operation and command of Patriot systems in the Ukrainian Armed Forces is under the control of the Air Force .
In late December 2023, according to the Air Force and President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine shot down five Russian Sukhoi fighters within a few days – apparently also with Patriot systems missiles, two of which Germany also delivered to Ukraine.
On December 22, 2023, Ukrainian air force commander Oleshchuk mocked President Vladimir Putin's announcement a year earlier that Russia would quickly destroy Patriot systems, which were allegedly inferior to Russian technology. “I don't think so!” Oleshchuk commented dryly. Air Force spokesman Ihnat also published a happy post with symbols of the downed Russian aircraft and a photo of a Patriot system. Ukraine is apparently moving Patriot systems, which primarily protect the capital Kiev, to the east or south of the country as needed because, according to military experts, its missiles have a maximum range of 160 kilometers.
The “Patriot” mission also presents dangers
The Patriot mission also presents dangers: On January 24, the Ukrainians apparently also used Patriot missiles to shoot down an Ilyushin-76 transport plane that U.S. officials said appeared to be carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to the New York Times. Ukraine cannot avoid widespread bombing by Russian fighter jets. Since March 2023, Russia has modernized old Soviet bombs with an explosive charge of up to 1,000 kilograms using wings so that Russian bombers can launch them at a distance of up to 70 kilometers and, after a long glide, hit Ukrainian targets.
According to Kiev Air Force expert Valeriy Romanenko, the Russian military dropped “100 of these bombs in 24 hours” on Ukrainian positions in late 2023. In the recent fall of the important city of Avdiivka, the dropping of up to 80 Russian glide bombs per day also played an important role for soldier Yegor Sugar deployed in Avdiivka. according to an important role. According to the Ukrainian ambassador in Washington, Oxana Markarova, supplies of missiles – that is, Patriot or Himars – are also running out.