Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has the youngest Russian Beriev A-50 reconnaissance plane shot down referred to as the result of “collaboration with partners”. Without this partnership, Ukraine would hardly be able to protect itself in certain areas, Zelensky explained in Kiev on Saturday. However, Zelensky did not provide details of this cooperation.
The aircraft is packed with expensive electronics and staffed by specially trained experts. it was the day before, according to information from Kiev shot down by Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense over southern Russia I have been. “I thank the main recognition of the Ministry of Defense and everyone who ensured this result!” Air Force Chief Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on Telegram on Friday.
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According to military intelligence The plane crashed in the Krasnodar region in southern Russia. There was no official confirmation from the Russian side of the incident. The state agency Tass reported only one fire near Krasnodarwhich was caused by a “falling flying object.”
The Ukrainian head of state has now refuted the speculation that Western weapons systems, possibly Patriot missiles, were used in the shooting. “Ukraine neither has the opportunity nor the right, nor will it ever have, to use weapons from partner countries in areas outside the currently occupied regions of the country,” Zelensky said.
There was speculation in the Ukrainian media, among other things, about the use of a projectile from a modernized Soviet S-200 anti-aircraft system.
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According to military experts, the Kremlin has only about half a dozen operational aircraft of this type. In mid-January, the Ukrainian military said it had already shot down one of the few and extremely valuable A-50s, which also serves as a flying communications hub, and another Ilyushin Il-22 reconnaissance aircraft over the Sea of Azov. (dpa)