Ukrainian air-defenses reportedly shot down two of the Russian air force’s rarest and most valuable command aircraft on Sunday: a Beriev A-50 radar early-warning plane and an Ilyushin Il-22 airborne command post.
Ukrainian media has cited government officials confirming the purported shoot-downs, but there’s little hard evidence of the incidents.
Ukraine’s RBC Radio posted what it claimed was an audio recording of the Il-22’s crew radioing an S-O-S to controllers apparently in Anapa, on the Russian side of the Sea of Azov’s southern coast. “Urgently requesting ambulance and fire crew,” the crew radioed.
So Ukraine got tired of waiting for Russia’s “big missile attack” and moved it’s patriot systems close to the front. Kyiv is unprotected, but with a little trickery (keeping the main radar offline and using a lower power radar closer to the front to prevent the planes from realizing they are entering into it’s coverage) they can lock down Russia’s air force.
That’s the best defense is a good offense right there. I wish Russia would go bankrupt or there be another revolution.