Striking the heart of Russian aviation: A tale of Ukrainian resilience
It took two years of planning to deliver a significant blow to the previously dominant Russian aviation, reports The Times. Today, it is known that the Patriot and S-200 systems were used to strike the valuable Russian A-50 aircraft.
The details of the ambushes prepared against the aviation of the Russian Federation were revealed in a conversation with The Times journalists by a high-ranking Ukrainian military intelligence officer who remains anonymous. The officer explained that the strike on the A-50 aircraft was a joint operation of intelligence and air forces. To accomplish this task, the Ukrainians decided to restore the S-200 system to use.
Two years of planning
The decision to use the S-200 to strike at Moscow's "eyes" was made in 2022, but first, it was necessary to find the appropriate personnel who would be able to work with the mentioned S-200. Hence, the Ukrainians initially looked for officers who had previously operated these anti-aircraft complexes, and subsequently, they needed engineers who could carry out the necessary maintenance work on the S-200 to use the weapon on the front line.
The first missile launch intended to strike occurred in the fall of 2023. However, the rockets did not hit the target due to a change in the A-50's flight path. The military officer notes that the failed operation still had a positive outcome. "We set an example for the (Ukrainian - ed.) forces not to be afraid of being fired upon. Even on the first attempt, when we launched two rockets, they saw how quickly we hid the launchers and evacuated. No one even noticed where we were," said the intelligence officer in a conversation with The Times.
The next — successful — strike was carried out in 2024. The Ukrainians additionally used Patriot batteries for this purpose, which was very risky, as the weapon had to be directed very close to the front line. One of the Ukrainian military personnel calculated that this was a difficult task because the Patriot is not just a launcher but also includes an additional radar, power source, etc. In total, six large machines.
The air defence complex awaited the incoming A-50 aircraft accompanied by an Il-22 on January 14, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Russians then believed they were far beyond the reach of any ground threat. However, they were within a mere two minutes of missile flight. The missiles hit both machines, with the A-50 falling straight into the sea, and the Il-22 was damaged.
Another successful operation occurred on February 23, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This time, the Russians moved the A-50 aircraft beyond the Patriot's range, but the machine was still within the range of the S-200. This system conducted a successful strike towards the second reconnaissance aircraft of the Russian Federation, which was 170 kilometres from the front line.
Flying "eyes" of Moscow
The Beriev A-50 aircraft replaced the Tupolev Tu-126. They were designed to detect and track all objects in the airspace within a radius of up to 640 kilometres from the Liana radar, which is mounted on the fuselage. The A-50 can also detect ground targets, but in this case, the range is limited to 300 kilometres. Therefore, the aircraft can perform observational functions, intercept enemy units, and support ground attacks.
The A-50 was introduced into the Russian armed forces in the 1980s, precisely in 1984. This impressive aircraft has a length of nearly 50 metres, a height of 15 metres, and a wingspan of about 51 metres. Its maximum speed is 900 kilometres per hour, and its maximum operational ceiling is approximately 13 kilometres. The A-50's flight range is about 7,500 kilometres.
