[ETCM]

With the A-50s grounded, surface-to-air systems are operating in autonomous mode, complicating command & control.

Ukraine has also conducted numerous strikes on Crimea's Command, Control and Communications centers over the past few months. In addition to the equipment/infrastructure, consider the human losses in these command center strikes too. Datalink management and understanding the entire battle space isn't a simple job, and taking these people out is significant.

[FtrPilot]

Excellent info! Thanks.

Here's some additional information on the shoot down.

Russian Telegram channels shared more details about the Russian aircraft that crashed yesterday in Crimea.

Reportedly, it was a Su-27 and it was shot down by the Russian Pantsir anti-aircraft missile-gun system. For some unknown reason, the air defense did not receive notification of the departure of their Su-27.

Because the Pantsir system's combat crew did not receive a response from the Su-27 pilot to its interrogation, a decision was made to fire the plane for effect. As it became known later, the system's crew interrogation did not reach the Su-27 pilot because the IFF interrogator on the Pantsir system was not working correctly.

Some Russian media called this a "technical deficiency."

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1773734369473044808

Without a doubt, Russian air defense components are operating in autonomous mode.