Rare Russian "flying radar" foiled an attack by Ukrainian "Flamingos" on an Iskander plant
On the night of July 4, Ukraine launched five "Flamingo" cruise missiles at a strategic plant deep inside Russia. However, all of them were shot down. The success of the Russian air defense was ensured by a rare A-50U long-range radar detection aircraft, which was able to detect the missiles where ground radars would have been blind.
Long-range cruise missile "Flamingo". Photo: AP Photo / Efrem Lukatsky
Ukrainian Armed Forces launched at least five FP-5 "Flamingo" cruise missiles at the territory of the Russian Federation. The likely target of the strike was the Votkinsk plant in Udmurtia, which specializes in the production of missiles for Iskander operational-tactical missile systems. All Ukrainian missiles were intercepted, reports the Ukrainian monitoring Telegram channel "KiberBoroshno".
Routes of Russian missiles and points where they were shot down. Photo: OCHI AI
According to OCHI AI system data, the missile flight lasted approximately from 1:10 AM to 3:00 AM. The route was laid at ultra-low altitudes along the Volga River, using complex terrain for maximum stealth. After passing through the corridor near Volgograd, the missiles headed towards Ulyanovsk, and then made a detour through Chuvashia to avoid detection.
Despite the complex route, all missiles were shot down. The first interceptions occurred in the area of the Russian cities of Engels and Balakovo. Some of the missiles were destroyed by aviation upon re-entering the Volga in the direction of Kazan. The last missile, which reached Votkinsk directly, was destroyed by a ground-based anti-aircraft missile system.
A key factor in the successful repulsion of the attack was the timely airborne deployment of the Russian A-50U long-range radar detection (AWACS) aircraft.
Approximately half an hour before the missiles approached, the aircraft began patrolling in the area of Ulyanovsk and Samara regions, as well as Bashkortostan. This allowed Russian military personnel to detect missiles flying at low altitudes over rivers and hilly-forested terrain, where ground-based radars traditionally have "blind spots".
As the In Factum Telegram channel notes, the successful use of the A-50U for guiding air defense assets underlines the critical necessity for Ukraine to destroy the remaining Russian AWACS aircraft.
According to channel estimates, before the start of the full-scale war, Russia had about 10 A-50 and A-50U aircraft. Two or three aircraft were destroyed by Ukrainian forces, and several more are considered non-functional. As of today, about 5 combat-ready aircraft of this type remain in the Russian Aerospace Forces, which are an extremely scarce resource that cannot be quickly replenished.
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