PARTNERS.
“GUR sources also said the Russian A-50 in February was brought down by S-200.”
“Budanov told me Ukraine used S-200 to take down the Tu-22 M3. A Ukrainian defense official told me “partners” helped modify the guidance system.”
https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1781435085541007413
The S-200 does have the potential range to reach out 300+ km. Back in 2001, Ukraine was conducting a live fire exercise. Both an S-200 and S-300 battery engaged a drone, with the S-300 missile destroying the target. The S-200 continued past the destroyed target and locked onto a Russian TU-154 passenger aircraft and destroyed it at a range of 300+ km, 250 km PAST the drone target.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberia_Airlines_Flight_1812
Still, Russian forces should have known of the missile launch and been able to employ countermeasures or just turn around and run.
The missile definitely has the range to reach the Tu-22 M3 that was shot down.
To achieve the kill, the guidance system was probably modified from semi-active homing to command guidance with active radar homing for terminal guidance.
The S-300 command center can control S-200 systems.
The Tu-22 appears to have had no warning of being tracked by radar and no warning of a SAM launch.
The Tu-22 Electronic Warfare suite is clearly garbage.
SAM launch warnings would be provided by A-50s, which are no longer flying.
Also, the Russian over the horizon backscatter (OTH-B) radar would be able to detect SAM launches in real-time.
Isn't it amazing that shortly after the Russian backscatter radar is damaged, Ukraine shoots down a Tu-22.