Russian tactical aviation advantage is diminished after loss of $330 million radar place — ISW
Russia seems to have reduced its tactical aviation operations near the Azov Sea following the loss of an A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft, the Institute for the Study of War's (ISW) reported on Jan. 16.
This indicates that Ukraine’s successful downing of the A-50 aircraft might have compromised the capabilities of the Russian Air Force, the group said.
Ukraine also seriously damaged an Il-22 aircraft in the attack, and it has been left inoperative, the Ukrainian Air Force reported.
The presence of Russian tactical aviation over the Azov Sea is currently lower “than ever before,” Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said on Jan. 16.
The A-50 and Il-22 aircraft assisted Russian forces in detecting aerial targets up to 600 km away and can transmit information in real-time to Russian control points in Ukraine. This monitoring enables Russian tactical aviation to remotely detect Ukrainian aircraft, enhancing the effectiveness of their own aircraft.
Russian forces had only three A-50 aircraft and six upgraded A-50Us in their arsenal as of Jan. 14, 2024, the Ukrainian Southern Operational Command reported. The destruction of one of these few aircraft will reduce Russia’s operational capabilities.
Russian forces will likely be able to replace both the destroyed A-50 and the damaged Il-22, Ukraine’s Air Force reported.
The destruction of these aircraft will not affect the intensity of Russian missile and drone strikes, as Russian forces program these missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles with predetermined routes and targets from ground positions, Ihnat said.
Ukraine must gain air superiority, just as it gained an advantage in the Black Sea after strikes on Russian naval forces in occupied Crimea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Jan.16.
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