Ukraine said it had downed a GBP 274 mln. Russian spy plane in a “perfectly planned and executed operation” over the Sea of Azov, APA reports citing The Telegraph.
Gen Valery Zaluzhny, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, said Kyiv’s forces had also shot down a Il-22 airborne command centre in the attack.
The aircraft were downed over the Sea of Azov on Sunday night, the RBC-Ukraine news agency cited a source in the armed forces as saying.
The Soviet-era A-50 uses radar to detect missiles and enemy aircraft, and can also be used as an airborne command centre.
Russia was reported to have only eight operational A-50s left in its air force prior to Sunday’s incident.
Details about the weapons used to allegedly shoot down the plane have not yet emerged.
A Russian A-50 based in Belarus was blown up in a partisan drone attack in February last year.
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