- By Phelan Chatterjee
- BBC News
February 23, 2024
Updated 1 hour ago
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An A-50 aircraft during a military parade (file photo)
Ukraine says it shot down a Russian A-50 military spy plane, the second such allegation in just over a month.
The plane was hit between the Russian cities of Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar, Ukrainian military sources said, more than 200 km (124 miles) from the front line.
Rescue workers reportedly found aircraft fragments in Kanevskoy district and extinguished a raging fire.
Russia has not commented on the claim. Saturday marks two years since Russia launched a full-scale invasion.
Ukrainian Air Force chief Mykola Oleshchuk thanked his service and military intelligence for helping to shoot down the plane – a long-range radar detection aircraft – on Friday, noting that the incident coincided with a key Russian military holiday.
“Congratulations to the occupiers on Defender of the Fatherland Day,” he said on Telegram.
Video posted online shows the moment the plane appears to be shot down in mid-air, as well as huge flames and thick, dark smoke appearing to rise after the crash.
Krasnodar emergency authorities later said a plane crashed near the village of Trudovaya Armenia in Kanevskoy District and a fire was later extinguished. No further details were disclosed.
Meanwhile, at least one Telegram channel affiliated with the Russian military suggested that the plane may have crashed as a result of friendly fire. Fighterbomber wrote: “It is currently unknown who shot it down.”
Ukraine last claimed to have shot down an A-50 on January 14th.
An earlier British Defense Ministry briefing said Russia likely had six operational A-50s in service.
The aircraft, which detects air defense systems and coordinates targets for Russian fighter jets, could cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build.
Ukraine has recently struggled to make significant progress against Russian forces in the southeast.
In last month's incident, Ukrainian army officials said an Il-22 control center aircraft was destroyed as well as the A-50.
- A Russian drone strike on the southern Ukrainian port of Odessa on Friday evening killed one person and injured three others, local officials said
- Ukraine's top security official warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin will try to settle the Ukraine issue before the U.S. presidential election in November by seizing more territory and destabilizing the country
- British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his country was ready to do “whatever it takes” to help Ukraine win
- French President Emmanuel Macron said: “Ukraine is fighting for itself, for its ideals, for our Europe. Our commitment to them will not diminish.”
- Explosions and a fire were reported at a metallurgical plant in Lipetsk, western Russia, in the early hours of Saturday. The local governor suspected it was a “plane crash.”
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Watch: Ukraine Two Years Later: A Look Back at the War