Ukrainian forces shoot down $350m Russian early warning aircraft in another defence victory

The downing of the plane was announced by the Commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykola Oleszczuk. The Ukrainian intelligence also verified the announcement, stating that the plane, costing upwards of 350 million dollars, was taken down with the S-200 missile system.

The plane was struck over the Sea of Azov. The Ukrainian intelligence reported, "A sharp decrease in speed and altitude of the A-50U aircraft was detected near the city of Yeisk". The flight path of this upgraded version of the plane has also been made public.

Videos featuring the fiery wreckage have surfaced online.

The regional command confirmed that around 7 p.m. GMT a plane crashed in the region of the Trudovaya Armenia village situated in the Krasnodar Territory, Russia.

"Upon the arrival of the fire crews, it was evident that the plane and reeds were aflame and the blaze encompassed an area of roughly 250 square metres. The residential buildings were not at risk and the villagers remained unharmed" - the statement read.

Forty firefighters and 14 units of equipment were deployed to the location.

The Russian Ministry of Defence has yet to comment on this matter.

In another video, the A-50 crew can be seen launching so-called thermal lures, designed to deflect the incoming missile.

A leading Russian propaganda channel, with nearly a million followers, reported that the crew members who perished in the A-50 crash were "top class professionals". The message further read, "The loss of A-50 is notable - such planes are scarce owing to their complexity and high-tech production. Such aircraft require significant protective measures".

The A-50 is a Soviet and Russian plane purposed for remote radar detection and control. It primarily detects and tracks air and naval targets while overseeing air defence operations. Only a handful of such planes remain in Russia.

"This is the aviation command post which the aggressor state used to detect long-range radars and to control and direct them towards Ukraine using strategic aviation missiles" - explained the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence.

This is the second such aircraft that was shot down this year. In early January, a Beriev Ilyushin A-50 crashed into the sea, while a USSR-production II-22, a heavy bomber, despite being damaged, managed to reach the city of Anapa in the Krasnodar Territory.

The primary role of a long-range radar aircraft is to regulate airspace operation. They identify targets and guide and coordinate combat aircraft. Such an aircraft is a vital military target. It functions as the "eyes and ears" of an air group, serving simultaneously as its 'nervous system' - according to the BBC.