Ukraine said it damaged two Russian command aircraft — a Russian A-50 radar early-warning plane and Ilyushin Il-22 airborne command post — on Sunday, hitting the planes with its air defense systems.
A photo that purports to show the wing of a Russian Il-22 aircraft shared by pro-war Russian milblogger Fighterbomber.
Considering those losses together, Manon said: "For the Russian Air Force, it's kind of embarrassing."
Given the limited supply, the latest developments are "a pretty big loss" for Russia, Manon said, adding that these aircraft are a key resource for Russia.
Ukraine says it needs more air defense equipment, with Russia trying to erode Ukraine's stockpiles to clear the way for unobstructed attacks.
Persons:
—, Rajan Manon, Manon, Gustav Gressel, Wagner, Sefa, shootdowns
Organizations:
Service, Business, Ilyushin, European Council, Foreign Relations, UK Ministry of Defence, Russian Air Force, Wagner Group, Anadolu Agency, Getty, NATO, Ukrainian Air Force
Locations:
Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Belarus, Minsk .