Il-22 And A-50 Fly The Same Route: They Shot Down By Stray Munition

A military expert expressed the most probable version.

The destruction of the Russian A-50 reconnaissance plane and the damage to the Il-22 air control centre were caused by Western weapons provided by Ukraine's partners.

There can be no question of 'friendly fire'.

Military expert Vladislav Seleznev said in an interview with OBOZ.UA.

"The Ukrainian Patriot system could effectively hit the two Russian military aircraft," he suggested.

Seleznev rejected the version that the Russian planes were shot down by their own air defences.

"The 'friendly fire' version was also put forward. Why didn't I believe it? Because both the Il-22 and the A-50 had been flying the same route for a long time, actually for two years. That is why the operators of the Russian air defence system know exactly where which targets are flying and on which route," he explained.

He believes that the planes were destroyed by errant Patriot air defence systems. As an example, he recalled the destruction of several aircraft in the Bryansk region and the destruction of three Russian fighter-bombers over the Kherson region.

Vladislav Seleznev noted that the Russian Armed Forces have only 9 A-50s in service. Each plane costs $300-500 million. He also suggested that as a result of the strikes in the Il-22 air command centre, officials of the Russian Federation army could be killed.

Military observer Oleksandr Kovalenko describes the defeat of Russian aircraft over the Sea of Azov as a unique case in the history of world wars and conflicts, as it took place in the deep rear.

AFU Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny confirmed the destruction of the A-50 long-range radar reconnaissance aircraft and the enemy's Il-22 air control centre. Russian A-50 and Il-22M aircraft could have been hit by Patriot SAMs. This is what the experts of Deutsche Welle believe. This means that the Ukrainian command took a risk and moved the Patriot SAMs closer to the coast.