The aircraft is needed to launch the Kinzhal missiles.
The Russian A-50 early warning aircraft, which was damaged on February 26, 2023 at the Machulishchi airfield in Belarus , was required to launch Kinzhal missiles.
This was announced by the UK Department of Defense on Twitter.
According to British intelligence, the A-50 provided data for the MiG-31K fighter jet, the aircraft to launch the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile, which “Russia sees as a key strategic capability.”
“There is a real possibility that joint Russian-Belarusian aviation will now be forced to rely on ground control and escort fighters until another A-50 is deployed,” the Defense Ministry said in a report.
It is noted that the self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko confirmed that one Russian A-50U MAINSTAY D airborne early warning and control aircraft was damaged. The plane was almost certainly attacked by a small drone, he said.
“The A-50 was moved to a repair shop in Taganrog in Russia. It is reported that the transit flight took place at a lower altitude than usual. Probably due to damage to the pressurized cabin,” British intelligence officers say.
Recall, Lukashenko said that the attack on Machulishchi was planned by the SBU and the CIA, having recruited a Russian IT specialist in 2014.
Subsequently, the pro-government security forces reported the detention of a Ukrainian citizen who allegedly blew up a Russian plane at the Machulishchi airfield near Minsk. During interrogation, the man in the video claims that he allegedly worked with the SBU in Kyiv.
The Belarusian opposition reported that the front and center parts of the aircraft, avionics and radar antenna were damaged . It is noted that these damages are serious and the plane will definitely not fly anywhere.
