Russian military Telegram channels have reported that an A-50, a rare and notably important airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) capability, was shot down by anti-air defenses while flying over the Azov Sea and reportedly crashed in Krasnodar, Russia.
Prominent Russian milblogging channel “Romanov” posted “Again A-50, again the same area. The enemy has nothing to do with it again. The launches were from the Mariupol area.”
Footage reportedly showing a SAM slamming into a Russian A-50 AEW&C aircraft over the Sea of Azov this evening. pic.twitter.com/sT0FJD3CF9
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 23, 2024
The “again” was in reference to another downing of another A-50 last month, which Ukraine claimed responsibility for. However, Russian milbloggers, such as RVvoenkor and Boris Rhozin, claimed that the aircraft was damaged in a friendly fire incident.
Whether or not it was Ukraine or Russia, this marks another loss of a critical AEW&C asset to Russian aerospace forces.
