Ukraine's historic downing of Russia's A-50 aircraft attributed to Patriot system, U.S. Colonel confirms
It was a Patriot system that allowed Ukraine to strike a Russian A-50 Airborne Early Warning & Control (AWACS) aircraft for the first time in January 2024, a U.S. Army official confirmed.
The Deputy Chief of Staff of the 10th Air and Missile Defense Command of the U,S, Army, Colonel Rosanna Clemente, also shared a corresponding video on X.
"Now in service with Ukraine, probably, the Patriot battalion. Some of them are used to protect stationary objects, others move around and do really historical things," she said.
"I haven't seen anything like this in 22 years of working in the Air Defense Forces."
Read also: At least one Russian A-50 AWACS damaged in drone attack on Taganrog aircraft plant – HUR source
The Ukrainian military used the SAMbush (air ambush) tactic during the attack on the A-50, she said.
The soldiers were specially prepared for it: the instructors activated the battery in the middle of the night, gave the order to advance to the firing position, fight, and then withdraw again.
Taking out two Russian A-50 AWACS aircraft
A Russian A-50 Airborne Early Warning & Control (AWACS) was destroyed over the Sea of Azov for the first time in history, and the Defense Forces also hit an Il-22 air command post on January 14.
The latter aircraft managed to make it back to the airfield, however, it cannot be repaired, the then spokesperson of the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuri Ihnat, said.
At least 11 military pilots were killed as a result of the downing of the A-50, propaganda Telegram channel Fighterbomber, allegedly run by the captain of the Russian Armed Forces, Ilya Tumanov, reported.
At the same time, young officers and a colonel on board the downed A-50 and Il-22, Ihnat noted.
The version that the plane was allegedly shot down by Russian air defense spread in pro-war Russian media.
The destruction of the second Russian A-50 was confirmed by Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleschuk, on February 23.
The rare A-50 allegedly managed to shoot down the S-200, said NV's source in the special services.
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