Ukraine Shoots Down Second Highly Advanced Russian A-50 Spy Plane

The Ukrainian Air Force said its fighters on Friday shot down a Russian A-50 military spy plane, the second of the prized aircraft that Kyiv has claimed to destroy this year.

The Beriev A-50 is an airborne early warning and control jet used by Russia to help monitor Ukraine's air defenses. The aircraft typically fly with a crew of up to 15 personnel and are estimated to cost over $300 million to produce.

According to Russian and Ukrainian reports, an A-50 was brought down over the Sea of Azov late Friday. Kyiv officials took credit for the jet's destruction, although some Russian military bloggers said it was brought down by "friendly fire."

Ukraine's Air Force commander, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, announced the downing of the A-50 in a post to Telegram, and thanked Kyiv's military intelligence "and all those who ensured the result." Oleksandr Syrsky, the recently appointed commander in chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said on Facebook that the "Destruction of Russian aircraft and enemies is a great honor."

Russian-state owned news outlet RIA Novosti said in a post to Telegram shortly after Oleshchuk's announcement that an "unidentified aircraft" crashed in the Kanevsky district in southeastern Russia, which borders the Sea of Azov. The outlet later reported that two aircraft had crashed in the area, according to local officials, and that flames were spotted at the crash site.

Videos of the A-50 crash were also shared to social media. In one video posted to X, formerly Twitter, by Ukrainian military blogger Igor Sushko, the person taking the video said that an aircraft had crashed "next door" and that it caused a "big explosion," according to a translation of the video. The footage captured large flames and billows of smoke emanating from the crash site.

Oleshchuk also shared a video of the crash on Telegram, which showed flames burning at a location in the distance.

Newsweek reached out to Russia's Defense Ministry via email on Friday for comment.

Kyiv officials also took credit for the downing of a Russian A-50 plane last month, which was also purportedly destroyed over the Sea of Azov, on January 14. That attack, which was also reported by several Russian milibloggers, also took out a Russian Il-22M airborne command post. At the time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that he had "no information about the downing of Russian planes by the Ukrainian armed forces."

Ukraine has claimed responsibility for a number of downed Russian aircraft in recent days. Oleshchuk said in a statement Wednesday that Kyiv's forces took down one of Moscow's Su-34 fighter bombers, the seventh Russian plane reportedly destroyed by Ukraine within the week.

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