Ukraine attack on aircraft factory in Russia – Expensive spy plane A-50 destroyed?

Ukraine may have struck a blow in the war on drones. A Periv A-50 may have been destroyed in an attack on Russian territory.

Taganrog – The war in Ukraine is specifically a war of drones. The Ukrainian military has repeatedly resorted to using remote-controlled aerial weapons to strike targets deep inside the Russian border. Kiev staged another such attack over the weekend. A critical Russian radar may have destroyed the aircraft in the process.

Ukraine flying drone attack on Russian soil – A-50 may be hit

The target of the attack was a factory in Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, on the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov, where, among other things, Russian A-50 aircraft were repaired. Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev wrote on his Telegram channel that there had been a “massive UAV attack” on the city of Taganrog. UAV stands for “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle”. He said no one was injured. The Russian Defense Ministry said 41 Ukrainian drones were piloted in the Rostov region.

There is talk of a “successfully repulsed attack” on the Russian side. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials and investigators suspect that an A-50 aircraft that was being held for repairs at the attacked factory was damaged and possibly destroyed.

Serhiy Bratschuk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army in southern Ukraine, posted a satellite image of the attacked aircraft factory on Telegram, showing clear damage to the roof of the hangar where the A-50 is said to be located. Researchers at , also use the same image Predictive IntelligenceTo point out the potential destruction on the A-50. If the drones break through the roof, their explosive charge is enough to cause serious damage to the aircraft in the hangar.

The A-50 is a vital spy plane for Russia in the war in Ukraine

The Beriev A-50 Schmel is the most important airborne radar system of the Russian military for aerial reconnaissance and surveillance. According to the trade journal Aircraft inspection The characteristic radar on the back of the aircraft can detect up to 50 targets at a maximum distance of 230 kilometers. Large targets such as ships can be identified even from a distance of 400 kilometers.

This reconnaissance power not only makes the A-50 very important to Russian aviation intelligence. The plane is very expensive: depending on the equipment, it costs between 300 and 500 million dollars. What makes it even more unpleasant for Russia is that at least two planes have already been shot down. According to experts, no more than ten planes, a bitter loss.

For Russia, the A-50's reconnaissance and early warning system could become even more important, especially as it aims to deliver long-range missiles such as Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. Samuel Bendet of the US think tank for Naval Studies told the US portal that it will be difficult to compensate for the loss of surveillance aircraft with drones. Newsweek. (pkb)