Belarusian partisans and exiled opposition members reportedly claimed responsibility for damaging the military aircraft in a covert operation aimed at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s A-50 surveillance plane
The attack was reportedly carried out by two operatives who used drones and had already left the country.
Russia’s A-50 aircraft is a surveillance and command-and-control aircraft that is designed to monitor enemy airspace and detect incoming aircraft, as well as coordinate and direct combat operations.
The Belarusian anti-government organization, BYPOL, has claimed that two explosions have damaged the front and central parts of the AWACS Beriev A-50U aircraft, as well as the radar antenna at the Machulishchy air base near Minsk
BYPOL has accused the Belarusian government of attempting to cover up the incident and has called for an international investigation.
Franak Viacorka, a close adviser of Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya tweeted: “Partisans… confirmed a successful special operation to blow up a rare Russian plane at the airfield in Machulishchy near Minsk,’
“This is the most successful diversion since the beginning of 2022.”
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