Ukraine: Kyiv claims to have shot down two Russian airborne command aircraft

On Monday, January 15, the Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have shot down two Russian airborne command planes over the Sea of Azov. This would be a major blow to Russia in an area it is supposed to control.

The Beriev A-50 is an early warning aircraft (pictured). The Ukrainian military, however, did not specify how the Il-22 and A-50 were shot down. AFP - NORWEGIAN AIRFORCE

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I thank the Air Force for this perfectly planned and executed operation in the Sea of Azov region! " said the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army, Valery Zaluzhny. Indeed, according to Kiev, an A-50, an airborne detection, surveillance and command aircraft, and an Il-22, an aircraft also serving as a command post, were destroyed. The Ukrainian military, however, did not specify how the devices were shot down.

No Russian Comments

These aircraft are typically used for intelligence, target identification and troop coordination. Asked about this during a briefing with the press, the Kremlin spokesman said he could not comment due to a lack of information on the subject. "We don't have any information" on this, Dmitry Peskov said, before referring to the Russian Defense Ministry, which has generally remained silent on its losses and failures since the start of the Russian invasion nearly two years ago.

Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses reinforced

Russia has repeatedly claimed air supremacy over Ukraine, but in reality it has never been permanent or total. Western military aid has also beefed up Ukraine's air defenses for nearly two years, in order to protect the country from the volleys of missiles and drones that Russia sends almost daily at Ukrainian cities.

(With AFP)

Read alsoLondon and Kiev announce a "historic" security agreement

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