The war between Ukraine and Russia continues to escalate in the skies. New satellite images reveal that Ukrainian forces have shot down a Russian Beriev A-50 spy aircraft at the Ivanovo airbase inside Russian territory, according to A2 CNN, citing international sources including the portal ‘BT’, Rks News reports.
The Beriev A-50 is one of Russia’s most valuable military assets, based on the Il-76 transport aircraft platform and equipped with advanced radar systems for aerial surveillance, coordination, and strategic intelligence gathering. With only a limited number in its fleet, the loss of this aircraft marks a significant blow to Moscow’s aerial capabilities.
This marks the second incident in recent months in which Russia has lost an A-50 aircraft. In January 2024, another A-50 was downed over the Sea of Azov.
The latest shootdown is part of Ukraine’s broader offensive against Russian airbases, which also house strategic bombers such as the Tu-95, Tu-22, and Tu-160—frequently used in large-scale attacks against Ukrainian territory.
