Ukrainian drone strike inflicts heavy Russian aerial losses
The Russians have lost another A-50 early warning aircraft, as reported on social media. According to military analyst Jarosław Wolski, the aircraft was destroyed during an attack conducted by Ukrainians on June 1st. There are 2-3 A-50 aircraft remaining in service.
Let's recall that on Sunday, June 1st, 2025, the Ukrainians launched a large-scale attack on Russian military bases. Ukrainian drones infiltrated Russian Federation territory and struck several locations. As a result, based on satellite images of the Belaya airbase, the destruction of at least three Tu-95MS aircraft, one Tu-22M3, and damage to one Tu-95MS was confirmed.
The Russians lost an A-50
Jarosław Wolski on X noted that these losses pertain to only one base. Overall, the Russians lost more equipment. The expert adds that the loss of the A-50 early warning aircraft has been confirmed. This aircraft allows the military to monitor all objects in the airspace within a radius of up to 640 kilometres.
Any damage or loss of this aircraft is a significant setback to the Russian military, as it deprives them of the ability to track potential threats. Moreover, such aircraft are no longer produced by the Russians, making it impossible to restore these reconnaissance capabilities. Analysts estimate that currently, there are 2-3 A-50 aircraft in service capable of conducting reconnaissance.
Moscow's "flying eyes"
The Beriev A-50 aircraft, which replaced the Tupolev Tu-126, was designed to detect and track objects in airspace within a radius of up to 640 kilometres from the Liana radar, mounted on the fuselage. The A-50 can also detect ground targets, although in this case, the range is 300 kilometres. With these capabilities, the aircraft performs observation functions, intercepts enemy units, and supports ground attacks.
In the 1980s, more precisely in 1984, the A-50 aircraft was introduced into the Russian armed forces. This aircraft is nearly 50 metres long, 15 metres high, and has a wingspan of about 51 metres. The A-50 can reach a maximum speed of 900 km/h, and its maximum operational altitude is about 13 kilometres. The flight range of this aircraft is about 7500 kilometres.
