Conducted a complicated operation: what could the Armed Forces hit the Russian A-50U-experts

Experts noted that even having GEM-T missiles with a range up to 160 km, the Ukrainian Patriot SAM would not be able to reach the aircraft. After all, it was 170 km from the front line. The head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense Kirill Budanov revealed the details of the operation to destroy the Russian aircraft DRLV A-50U.

Although the general did not voice the type of weapon by which the aircraft was struck, Defense Express experts have announced some assumptions on this issue. First of all, Budanov reported that a special operation to destroy the enemy aircraft of a long -range radar detection was carefully prepared for two weeks.

The authors of the publication noted that this once again emphasizes not only the exclusivity of the event, but also the high level of organization and skill of those who were involved in the implementation of such an operation. As for the means of the defeat, experts noted that the aircraft was shot in the territory of the Krasnodar region at a distance of 170 km from the front line.

Even assuming that Ukrainian Patriot SCR was used to destroy the Air Force GEM-T, which has a stated range of up to 160 km, it would not be enough to defeat the Russian A-50U. Moreover, it is impossible to mark even the "wandering" rocket complex directly on the LBZ (lines of combat collision) - the air defense means are placed at least at the distance of the enemy artillery shot. "At the same time, unconfirmed information has already appeared that A-50U was beaten from C-200.

But it should be recalled that this SAC in this case would require some processing and modernization, because it is extremely archaic in itself," experts write. Meanwhile, the Russian Federation says that the DRLV plane was shot as a result of friendly fire. The script could look like this-the Russians tried to intercept the launched C-200 rocket by the C-400-400 interceptor, but as a result the rocket mistakenly struck its own plane.

Budanov also said how many aircraft of this type remained in service of the Russian Federation. According to him, there were nine units on the paper in the TSC of the Russian Federation-three aircraft A-50 and six A-50U. Of these, one on January 14 was shot down above the Azov Sea, the other was destroyed on February 23, and another plane was damaged in Belarus at the end of February 2023.

Thus, added Budanov, in case of loss of another A-50, the Russians will not be able to continue to keep them in the air in 24/7 mode. We will remind, the representative of the Air Force of the Armed Forces Yuri Ignat on February 25 stated that the destruction of another Russian aircraft of a long-range radar detection A-50 will not affect the strikes of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. At the same time, Russian aviation capabilities with loss of A-50 are decreasing.