Ukraine Claims Destruction of Russian Spy Plane Over Sea of Azov

Ukraine has asserted that its Air Force successfully destroyed a Russian spy plane over the Sea of Azov. Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi initially reported on Telegram that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had taken down an enemy A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft and an enemy IL-22 air control center. Expressing gratitude for the operation’s planning and execution, Zaluzhnyi deemed the special operation in the Azov Sea region “successful.”

Ukrainian Air Forces spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat later disclosed on Facebook that while one Russian plane managed to land, it appeared to be “beyond repair.” He emphasized the A-50 as a priority target, previously considered an impossible task to destroy. The Sea of Azov, separating Ukraine and Russia at the northeastern Black Sea, witnessed this military development, with Russia yet to comment on the situation.