It’s pretty crazy that it was just flying there alone with apparently zero fighter jets accompanying it. AWACS are like aircraft carriers. They’re never supposed to be alone. In the video you can see that it was deploying flares for minutes before the impact. They were probably tracking the missiles since they were fired and there was plenty of time react but all they could do is just hope for the best.
I wanted to continue off of your well* written comment.
These planes are damn near irreplaceable for RU, they require very advanced electronics and sensitive equipment. They already had a very limited number of these planes in service, nevermind actually capable of doing their actual jobs. They are invaluable so far as providing top down radar of a battlefield for RU, and this is a massive, massive loss. Absolutely wreckless for this type of craft to not have a fighter wing with them.
Amazing job UA.
Edit: I a word
I’d argue that in this case it was reckless, but very wreckful.
Damn that’s a rare piece of good news for UA.
I think there usually are also a few pretty important high-ranking generals on those planes.
Not really generals, but specialiced and valuable operators which are also very hard to replace.
The Russians have shitty air doctrine and they always have.
AWACS stands for Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS)
Good. Now kill the rest.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beriev_A-50
Basic searches suggest between 4 and 7+ of these are active currently, and they cost US$350million each.
It’s such a shame (that they haven’t shot down more)
So, approximately $1,000,000,000 worth of terrorist Kremlin jets taken down in the last few weeks.
Sorry to be a downer (no pun intended) but the news of Russian high value equipment being lost does not translate to victory in battlefields that is being sought after more by the public. The Ukrainians just lost Avdiivka (in part thanks to Republican stonewalling aid package to Ukraine) and there is reports of armoured assaults in Robotyne, a major village which Ukraine retook in their last counteroffensive.
Russia is willing to take more losses, because unfortunately the Russians are too steeped into Putin’s propaganda.
This isn’t about winning any particular battle, but to weaken Russia’s awareness of the battlefields all over Ukraine. It’s a slow-boiling long-term success.
Public morale and perception is as important. If Western public feels that results are not worth the money, they will demand or elect politicians who will withdraw support to Ukraine. American public perception is the major reason why US withdrew from Vietnam after all, in spite of body count that Pentagon touted. This is propaganda war as much as martial.
Ukraine has been targeting Russia’s radar and early warning capabilities, allowing them to fly drones into occupied territory and into Russia proper to hit high value military targets, refineries, factories and more.
The A50 was in part to coordinate airstrikes on the front, and in part to fill the radar gap.
Now the gap needs re-filling… Again…
In the mean time, refineries and fuel depots burn, airfields get hit, ships get sunk. It’s getting harder every day… for both sides… but the loss rate for Russia is only sustainable as long as their enormous reserves last… But they are dwindling…
This is the attritional warfare Zalushni was talking about. It’s like 2 boxers beating the crap out of each other untill one has had enough, can’t raise his arms anymore, or goes KO. And neither is KO just yet.
They got those F16s yet? Hope so. Slavi Ukraini
That’s what, 2/4, 3/5? A major blow regardless. Seems like UA is slowly blinding their enemy…
Feels like the US is maybe sharing more intel now to try to make up for the lack of material support.
