Who died on board the A-50 and which plane was shot down by the Ukrainian Armed Forces: everything that is unofficially said in Russia

The crew near the A-50 aircraft at the airfield “Severny” in Ivanovo/Screenshot from video

On January 14, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down a Russian early warning aircraft over the Sea of ​​Azov and control of the A-50. There was a crew on board, about which, as well as about the plane itself, the Kremlin is silent.

However, information is beginning to appear in some telegram channels. Thus, in one of the telegram channels there appeared a list of “missing people” who could be on board the A-50. In addition, allegedly the wife of commander Vyacheslav Levchenko confirmed the downing of the plane.

Who could have died on board the A-50

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that they allegedly do not have information about the downing of the A-50. The Kremlin’s mouthpiece also called for asking the Russian Ministry of Defense about this. There, of course, they are still silent.

It should be noted that traditionally the A-50 crew consists of 5 flight crew members and 10 radar patrol operators. That is, 15 crew members could have died on board the plane. In the Ukrainian segment of the social network X (formerly Twitter), more than 40 people were reported dead, but this seems unlikely.

Who could have died on board the A-50: screenshots from telegram channels

The Russian military channel wrote that the Russians continue to spread the story about the “defeat of their own air defense” of the A- aircraft 50. They even decided who would take responsibility for the destroyed A-50. In addition, they published a list of Russian military personnel on board the A-50 who are considered “missing in action”:

• V.V. Levchenko – lieutenant colonel , ship commander,
• Kvasov M.A. – major, navigator,
• Shadrov A.S – major,
• Kutuzov D.A – captain,
• Bolyasnikov M.S. – captain,
• Izmailov A.I. – senior lieutenant.

The telegram channel assured that the list is not complete. In another they added two more surnames – pilots Mariganov and Karpov.

Officially, the Russian authorities did not comment on this. However, one of the enemy telegram channels associated with Shoigu’s deputy, Ruslan Tsalikov, published a message with a link to Victoria Levchenko – wife of A-50 commander Vyacheslav Levchenko.< /p>

It was she who confirmed the downing of the plane and stated that her husband last got in touch on January 13 and said that he was taking up combat duty. After that, she did not speak to him.

It is known about Vyacheslav Levchenko that he is a 56-year-old experienced commander of an aviation complex for radar patrol and guidance. People like him are considered exceptional professionals, of whom there are only a few among experienced pilots in Russia. A-50 with number 42 on parade in May 2020.

Although there are no official reports about the death of the crew, Russians in the public pages of the city of Ivanovo, whose residents were probably members of the A-50 crew, are collecting money for the families of the victims. Therefore, Russians are indignant that the state should pay them.

Russians are complaining about the collection of funds for the dead, about which Russia is silent/Screenshots from telegrams channels

Which A-50 could destroy the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Published by The Military Balance , which publishes annual reports on the military potential of countries, noted that at the beginning of 2023, Russia had 1 squadron of A-50 aircraft. The exact number of them was not reported, usually it is 12 aircraft.

InformNapalm investigative group in February 2023 announced 8 A-50 aircraft in Russia with tail numbers:

• RF-92957 tail number “47 red”;
• RF-50602 tail number “33 red” “Vladimir Ivanov”;
• RF-93966 tail number “37 red” “Sergey Atayants”;
• RF-94268 tail number “41 red” “Taganrog”;
• RF-93952 tail number “45 red”;
• RF-50610 tail number “42 red”;
• RF-50608 tail number “43 red”;
• RF-50606 tail number “51 red”.

After the Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down the plane, the head of Ukrainian intelligence reported in a conversation with Financial Times that Russia has 8 A-50 aircraft in good condition.

Journalists analyzed that the crew usually flies on their own ship, and the A-50 appears in the video with commander Levchenko with number 42 (from the parade) and 45 (near which he was filmed in a propaganda video). In addition, the publication found that:

• a man named Valery Odrik assured in November 2023 that he was carrying out missions on the A-50 with a probable tail number 50 over the Sea of ​​Azov;
• on the page “Ivanovo remembers” on the Russian social network “VKontakte” they wrote about the loss of an A-50 with tail number 37 under the name “Sergey Atayanets” and eight crew members, but deleted the message.