Beriev A-50U AWACS Returns To Russia For Repairs
In recent days an unconfirmed report of a Belarussian partisan unit conducting a strike on Russian A-50U AWACS in Machulishchy was shared by various sources on social media. The Beriev A-50U in question had been operating since the first days of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine providing air control for the combat planes of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
According to the BYPOL partisan group, the A-50U supposedly received extensive damage to its cockpit and radar dome on top of the aircraft, rendering it inoperable. Those claims, however, were not confirmed until recently when a video from BYPOL’s drone was released. The 1 minute 30 second long video shows a civilian quadcopter UAV landing on top of the A-50U’s radar dome only to leave after a short while towards the direction which it came from.
There was no evidence of a successful detonation in the visual material released. Satellite imagery has not been able to confirm any significant damage to the aircraft either, nor has any statement was provided by the Russian Aerospace Forces or Belarusian officials. Yet, according to Hajun Project, on 2 March the A-50U (RF-50608) left the Machulishchy airfield and flew to the 325th Aircraft Repair Plant in Tagnarog.
The evidence provided by BYPOL and satellite imagery, however, does not confirm whether the attack on the Russian A-50U occurred or if damage was caused. It would appear that if any damage was done it was not enough to ground the aircraft but may have been significant enough for it to have to return to Russia for complex repairs before it can return to operations. If reports of the aircraft leaving for Tagnarog are correct then it appears that the Russian Aerospace Force has temporarily lost an important regional asset which will have to be replaced by another aircraft.
Update 7 March 2023:
It has been reported that Belarusian security forces have arrested a suspect and accomplices related to the partisan operation that is claimed to have damaged the A-50U. Belarus’ President Lukashenko made a statement earlier today confirming the partisan attack on the Machulishchy airbase. “The Security Service of Ukraine, the leadership of the CIA, behind closed doors, are carrying out an operation against the Republic of Belarus. A terrorist was trained,” Belarus’ Belta news agency quoted President Lukashenko as saying. The suspect is described as a Russian-Ukrainian national and “someone, who knows IT technologies well” and who “was trained to carry out terrorist attacks.”
Lukashenko concluded saying “what we saw in the course of the operation in Belarus was something truly incredible. Most advanced technologies were employed. He had spent months training for it.”