Russians 'Testing Their Luck' With Replacement A-50 Over Sea of Azov: Kyiv

Russians are "testing their luck" by flying a replacement A-50 spy plane over the Sea of Azov, days after Ukraine claimed to have shot one down, Ukraine's Air Force spokesperson said on Friday.

Spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said on national television that a Russian Beriev A-50—nicknamed the "Bumblebee" and given the NATO reporting name "Mainstay"—was detected over the Sea of Azov on Friday morning, according to Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda.

It comes after Ukrainian Army Commander in Chief Valery Zaluzhny said the Ukrainian Air Force shot down the long-range radar detection and control airplane, as well as an IL-22 command plane over the Sea of Azov on the evening of January 14.

"Just a moment ago, the map was empty, and now there are five to six aerial targets, including the infamous A-50, testing their luck in the Azov Sea waters," said Ihnat.

"Yesterday, we discussed what would happen after the destruction of the A-50: another one would take its place. This is unsurprising, as Russia has more of these aircraft," he said. "So there's the A-50, a fighter jet closer to Rostov, and tactical-level drones monitoring the front line."

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry for comment by email.

The A-50 is a Soviet-era reconnaissance aircraft used to prepare strikes and prevent enemy attacks. Each aircraft, which has a crew of 15, costs an estimated $330 million, reported Radio Svoboda, the Russian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, citing government data.

The British defense ministry said in an intelligence update on the war in Ukraine on Friday that the A-50 "almost certainly exploded and subsequently crashed into the Sea of Azov" on January 14, noting that the aircraft is a key enabler for Russian operations over Ukraine providing airborne early warning of threats as well as command and control functionality.

The update said that by January 17, the Russian Air Force appeared to have begun operating another A-50, "but this time over land within Russian territory near the Krasnodar region, farther eastwards from Ukraine."

"This activity is highly likely indicative of a reduced risk appetite for the airframes and an attempt to preserve remaining A-50 MAINSTAY at a loss to its overall effectiveness over Ukraine," the U.K. intelligence update said.

"Despite no official position from Russia on the loss of the MAINSTAY, this activity likely demonstrates a tacit Russian acknowledgement of a successful targeting operation by the Ukrainians against a high value air asset," the ministry added. "If the loss of the MAINSTAY was an accident, then such a decision is unlikely to have been required."

In the aftermath of the incident, Russian military bloggers sought to shift the blame on Moscow's own air defenses.

The Rybar Telegram channel, which has links to Russia's Defense Ministry, said the aircraft could have been struck in "friendly fire" from Russian air defense.

Pro-war Telegram channel Fighterbomber, which is believed to be affiliated with the Russian Air Force, said "[Ukraine has] nothing to do with the loss of the A-50 aircraft."

"And I really hope that this time the commission for the analysis of the disaster will not blame the pilots for weather reports...but the direct culprits of the tragedy," the channel added. "In the [war], unfortunately, the worst and most potent threat for the Aerospace Forces has become our air defense...something needs to be done about this."

Russia's air force was believed to have 15 A-50s before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, per figures from the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft database. One was reportedly badly damaged by a drone in February 2023, in an attack claimed by Belarusian anti-government partisans.

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