Posted on 01/16/2024 10:19:01 AM PST by marcusmaximus
Russians have blamed their own air defenses for the reported loss of an A-50 surveillance aircraft over the Sea of Azov.
Pro-war Telegram channel Fighterbomber, which is believed to be affiliated with the Russian Air Force, published a lengthy post after Ukraine claimed to have downed an A-50 and damaged an Il-22M airborne command post on Sunday.
The Rybar Telegram channel, which has links to Russia's Defense Ministry, also said the aircraft could have been struck by "friendly fire."
-snip-
The A-50 is a Soviet-era reconnaissance aircraft used to prepare strikes and prevent enemy attacks; the loss of such an aircraft would be a huge blow. Each aircraft, which has a crew of 15, costs an estimated $330 million, reported Radio Svoboda, the Russian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, citing government data.
Russia's air force was believed to have 15 A-50s before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, per figures from the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft database. One was reportedly badly damaged by a drone in February 2023, in an attack claimed by Belarusian anti-government partisans.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
Either way — shot down by Ukraine or shot down by Russia’s own systems in a major screw-up — it does not help the image Russia is trying to present to the world in general and to its own people in particular.
Lol. Planes get shot down by their own sides in any war. It’s a common problem with trigger happy ground troops.
Russian A-50 was just relocated from its base in Krymsk near the Eastern Black Sea to Ivanovo near Moscow. Afraid of getting shot down by “friendly fire” it seems.
How does one claim friendly fire when the plane is flying hundreds of kilometers behind the front lines? No Ukrainian planes have been flying there.
Putin either fears Ukrainian ability to shoot it down or the incompetence of his own military that would end up shooting it down. Actually, both scenarios are plausible. In any event, Putin has lost a valuable asset.
“How does one claim friendly fire when the plane is flying hundreds of kilometers behind the front lines? No Ukrainian planes have been flying there.”
I’m sure Russia has SA batteries near and far from the front lines. I read that the plane was taken out shortly after take-off. In any event, no matter how the plane was shot down, or by whom, it is a loss to Putin and Russia.
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