Destroyed A-50 Over Azov Sea, Il-22 Command Post Hit

January 15, 2024November 28, 2025

Late in the evening on January 14, information emerged about the destroyed A-50 over Azov Sea — russia’s unique reconnaissance aircraft — and the damaging of an Il-22M flying command post. The Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed the destruction of both russian aircraft.

Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Defense and Intelligence Yurii Mysiahin reported that Ukrainian units struck targets around 9:00 PM over the Azov Sea:

Around 9:00 PM, Ukrainian units delivered fire damage to two aircraft of the russian aerospace forces, namely the A-50 AWACS aircraft and the Il-22 bomber, which were over the waters of the Azov Sea. The A-50 was shot down, and the Il-22 was damaged but remained in the air and tried to reach the nearest airfield, but disappeared from radars after starting descent in the Kerch area.

Mayday Over Anapa

Closer to midnight, an intercepted conversation appeared between the Il-22M pilot and the dispatcher at the Anapa airfield. The pilot requested an emergency landing and assistance from ambulance and firefighters. Meanwhile, civilian vessels with transponders turned on disappeared in the central part of the Azov Sea. This indicates that russian military ships are conducting search and rescue operations, so the presence of civilian vessels in the search zone is prohibited.

On the morning of January 15, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk published a post in which he wrote: “This is for Dnipro!”

At 11:40 AM, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces General Valerii Zaluzhnyi confirmed that the Air Force destroyed the russian A-50 and Il-22 over the Azov Sea:

Warriors of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed the enemy’s A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft and the enemy’s Il-22 airborne command post.

Russia’s Pathetic “Friendly Fire” Narrative

Simultaneously, russian propaganda spreads information claiming that Ukraine allegedly has no means to strike aircraft at such distances, and that russian air defense “protecting the Crimean Bridge” shot down the aircraft. Military-political observer Oleksandr Kovalenko commented on russian narratives like this:

The flying command post Il-22 and AWACS A-50, day after day, for the second year in a row, fly the same routes to ensure communication stability, air situation control, and operational-tactical aviation management.
Aircraft of such size, their speed and flight altitude cannot be confused, for example, with a missile or fighter. If this was ‘friendly fire,’ it will go down in world military history as the loudest facepalm.

What Is the A-50 Worth?

The A-50 actively participates in russian missile terror. It can simultaneously track up to 60 air, surface, and ground targets. Its main task during the war is tracking launches of Ukrainian air defense missiles. The price of an A-50U ranges from $330-500 million, making it russia’s second most expensive loss after the cruiser Moskva.
The number of A-50s is small — only 9 or 10 units total, but how many are operational remains unknown. It’s also important that russian defense industry cannot compensate for this loss. Destroying even one A-50 won’t change the overall course of the war, but it will create additional burden on the remaining aircraft.

What Is the Il-22 Command Post?

The Il-22 serves as an airborne command post, coordinating actions of a large military grouping. Inside the aircraft sits a rather large crew of staff officers who manage troops through numerous and diverse communication channels with which the aircraft is equipped. Thanks to such capabilities, it can coordinate the interaction of ground, air, and naval components of the grouping.
Losing this flying command post means losing the ability to coordinate complex multi-domain operations. The staff officers aboard — if they survived the hit — represent years of training and operational experience. If they didn’t survive, russia just lost an entire command team in one strike.

The Weapon Stays Secret

Ukrainian military doesn’t report what exactly destroyed the enemy aircraft, for obvious reasons. Western media voices mainly three versions — Patriot system, Ukrainian fighter, or the old Soviet S-200 modernized by Ukraine. russians claim friendly fire.

We support the military approach — it’s impossible to reveal now what tool Ukrainian air defense used. If there’s any chance to repeat the success, we cannot refuse such a chance and provide the enemy with any information. The destroyed A-50 over Azov Sea and the damaged Il-22 demonstrate Ukraine’s growing capabilities, and keeping the method secret means we might see expensive russian birds fall from the sky soon.