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Vladimir Putins' £274 Million SPY Plane Destroyed by Drones
Vladimir Putins' £274 Million SPY Plane Destroyed by Drones in Airbase Attack....
One of Russian President Vladimir Putins' military planes was 'significantly damaged' by Belarus partisans supporting Ukraine, at an airbase in Belarus
BBC 1 MAR 2023
Russian A-50U aircraft, tail number RF-50608/43 - pictured in Moscow, Russia
One of Vladimir Putin's sophisticated spy planes has been destroyed by two drones at a Russian airbase in Belarus, reports say.
The £274 million AWACS Beriev A-50U aircraft was hit in an attack by Belarus partisans supporting Ukraine.
The distinctive plane carries a fibreglass dome more than 33ft in diameter which houses the rotating antenna of the Shmel radar complex.
The military spy plane was “significantly damaged”, according to the Belarusian Hajun project.
The “front and central parts of the aircraft, its avionics and radar antennae” were hit.
Several huge explosions were earlier reported at the Machulishchi military base.
The A-50U long-range radar detection and control aircraft has been used to pinpoint bombing targets inside Ukraine for Putin’s air force.
A video shows such a plane arriving at Machulishchi on December 14 as part of Putin’s build-up of forces close to Ukraine.
A second video showed the destroyed plane landing at Ivanovo-Severnyy in Russia five years ago.
The A-50U is “actively employed” by Putin’s war machine for “accomplishing missions in the special operation”, a defence industry source earlier told TASS.
The “front and central parts of the aircraft, its avionics and radar antennae” were hit
A Russian military transport aircraft and snow-clearing vehicles were also damaged in the audacious strike.
Belarus security forces reportedly found a bag with drone control equipment near the site of the operation.
Neither the Russian nor Belarussian defence ministries commented on the explosions.
Major searches were underway by police and security services close to Machulishchi in Minsk region, according to reports.
Aliaksandr Azarov, head of BYPOL Association of Belarus partisans, told Belsat: “These were drones.
“The participants of the operation were Belorussians, taking part in the ‘Peramoga’ [Belarus for Victory) plan.
“They are now safely outside the country. They have all gone.
“[The Belarus security services] may keep looking for them but they will have the same luck as searching for wind in a field.”
The aircraft was destroyed on the ground at the Machulishchi airfield
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