Ukraine Always Get What You Want

Russia apparently lost a very expensive, very rare A-50U early warning/control plane. Blown up on the ground by saboteurs at an air base in Belarus. Russia only has seven of this particular model operational.

https://odessa-journal.com/it-becam...lane-at-the-belarusian-airfield-machulishchi/

 

Good Twitter thread here explaining why this is such a big loss for Russia. It's basically their eye in the sky plane.
Also, seeing some conflicting reports on what took it out. This one says a drone strike, the others say Belorussian partisans sabotaged it. It could have been partisans using drones. Either way, it's a big Russian asset off the board.

 

There were seven Russian spy planes in the air …

(Not really, but the best fit for the song. World Cup qualifiers are gonna be spicy in a few years after we get past the war and sanctions.)

 

The BBC had the leader of a Belorussian opposition group on this morning, and he said that drones were used. Not sure how they would've acquired drones, though.

 

Could have been an off the shelf model. The Ukrainians have become very, very skilled at using basic hobby drones to drop grenades and mortar shells on Russian troops and tanks. It's probably not much more work to drop them on a plane.

 

He thinks he's Above the Law, but this is going to make him Marked For Death if he ever steps foot inside Ukraine again.

 

Drone, shoulder fired missiles, or a squad of saboteurs. They did big damage on the cheap any way you cut it. No matter how the strike went it was a big material loss and a propaganda black eye.

 

This is a very long -- but really fascinating -- oral history of the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, as given in the words of U.S. government, military and intelligence officials. It was presented by Politico to mark the one-year anniversary of the start of the conflict.

‘Something Was Badly Wrong’: When Washington Realized Russia Was Actually Invading Ukraine

 

Thanks for this.

 

серйозно?