Revealed: Russia's A‑50 Early Warning Fleet Grounded Amid Engine Shortages

It's important to note that Russia lost two Beriev A-50 early warning aircraft this year. The first was lost on Sunday, January 14, and the second on Friday, February 23. Following these incidents, it was discovered that Russia had at least one active A-50, as one was seen at the Taganrog airport in the last days of February. According to Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian intelligence, six such aircraft were reportedly in active service at that time.

Researcher MT_Anderson recently explored the Russian A-50's home base, Ivanovo Severny Airport, about 700 km from the Ukrainian border. At the airport, four A-50s are in active service, one operational A-50, but not used by the military, and six A-50 machines from which engines have been removed.

Defense Express highlights that the Russians' activity of four early warning aircraft is evident from the tracks in the snow at Ivanovo Severny Airport, indicating movement towards the runway and showing they can conduct regular observation missions. However, a significant detail is that up to six A-50 aircraft at the Russian air base lack engines, serving as "donors" for spare parts.

All the A-50 aircraft Russia owns are currently stationed at this airport. Observations thus suggest that Russia today can only conduct reconnaissance with four jets. The rest are grounded, and their condition prevents them from flying regularly.