The Ukrainian Air Force reported detecting a Russian A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft operating in the airspace over Orlovska Oblast, a region in western Russia near the Ukrainian border.
Russian Beriev A-50 aircraft direct S-400 anti-aircraft missiles
Photo credit: Twitter
This marks the first sighting of such an aircraft in nearly a year, according to Ukrainian military sources. The detection was also noted by Polish media outlets, which cited Ukrainian claims, amplifying the significance of the event amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
The sighting raises questions about Russia’s current air strategy and the operational status of its limited fleet of A-50 aircraft, critical assets in its military campaign.
Flight path of A-50 AWACS from E rusnya this morning. Mission most likely gathering data prior to a missile raid pic.twitter.com/e1bxUZVqHF
— Катран. Слава Уkрaїні! (@ConnieLingus123) March 10, 2025
While neither Ukrainian nor Russian officials have provided detailed statements on the aircraft’s mission, the reappearance of the A-50 has sparked interest among military analysts and observers tracking the conflict.
The A-50’s return to active operations comes after a period of notable losses for Russia’s fleet of these specialized planes. Since the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia is believed to have lost at least three A-50 aircraft, significantly reducing its inventory of these high-value assets.
The first confirmed loss occurred on January 14, 2024, when Ukrainian forces claimed to have shot down an A-50 over the Sea of Azov using long-range air defense systems, possibly American-supplied Patriot missiles, according to a statement from Ukraine’s Air Force Commander, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk.
BREAKING: For the first time in a year, This Morning Russia has resumed operations of the A-50U AWACS aircraft. The aircraft is conducting reconnaissance in the northeastern and northern directions, currently flying over the Oryol region under the cover of two Su-30SM fighters.… pic.twitter.com/KjAn0YCuON
— GeoInsider (@InsiderGeo) March 10, 2025
A month later, on February 23, 2024, a second A-50 was reportedly downed over Krasnodar Krai, more than 120 miles from the front line, with Ukraine attributing the strike to a Soviet-era S-200 surface-to-air missile system. Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov later stated that Russia had only six operational A-50s remaining as of February 2024.
Additionally, in February 2023, a Belarusian partisan group, BYPOL, claimed responsibility for damaging an A-50 stationed at Machulishchy air base in Belarus using drones, though satellite imagery showed no significant destruction. These incidents highlight the vulnerability of the A-50 fleet, which Russia has historically kept at a distance from the front lines to avoid such losses.
The Beriev A-50, known by its NATO reporting name “Mainstay,” is a Soviet-designed airborne early warning and control [AEW&C] aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport platform. First flown in 1978 and entering service in 1985, it was developed to replace the older Tupolev Tu-126 “Moss.”
Over 40 A-50s were produced by 1992, but only a fraction remain operational today, with the most advanced variant being the A-50U. The aircraft is equipped with a large Liana surveillance radar housed in a 9-meter-diameter rotodome mounted above the fuselage.
This radar provides a detection range of up to 650 kilometers for air targets and 300 kilometers for ground targets, according to Russian manufacturer specifications. The A-50U, an upgraded version introduced in the 2010s, features modern electronics, including the Shemel-M radar system, improved navigation, and redesigned crew stations with LCD monitors to reduce fatigue and enhance efficiency.
The aircraft carries a crew of 15, including five flight personnel and ten mission specialists who manage radar data and coordinate operations. It has a flight endurance of four hours without refueling, extendable with mid-air refueling capabilities in the A-50M variant, and a range of approximately 1,000 kilometers from its base.
In Russia’s war against Ukraine, the A-50 plays a pivotal role as a force multiplier, enhancing situational awareness and command over the battlefield. Its primary function is to detect and track airborne threats, such as Ukrainian fighter jets, drones, and low-flying cruise missiles, providing real-time data to Russian air forces and ground-based air defense systems like the S-400.
The aircraft can simultaneously manage up to ten fighter jets, directing them for air-to-air intercepts or air-to-ground strikes, according to technical documentation from Beriev, the plane’s manufacturer. This capability has been crucial for Russia’s strategy of launching guided bombs and missiles from a distance, minimizing exposure of its tactical aircraft to Ukraine’s improving air defenses.
The A-50 also supports long-range radar coverage, covering gaps in ground-based systems and relaying data via satellite communication or direct datalinks to command centers.
Military analysts, including Justin Bronk from the Royal United Services Institute, have noted that the A-50’s “look-down” radar capability allows it to spot low-altitude targets that ground radars might miss, a critical advantage in a conflict where both sides rely heavily on low-flying drones and missiles.
However, the loss of multiple A-50s has forced Russia to adjust its deployment patterns, of ten operating them farther from the front, which reduces its effectiveness over contested areas.
Comparatively, Western equivalents to the A-50 include the U.S. Boeing E-3 Sentry, commonly known as AWACS [Airborne Warning and Control System], and the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye used by the U.S. Navy.
The E-3, based on the Boeing 707 airframe, features a similar rotodome-mounted radar, the AN/APY-1/2, with a detection range exceeding 400 kilometers for air targets, slightly less than the A-50’s maximum but with superior electronic warfare and data processing capabilities, according to U.S. Air Force specifications.
The E-3 can track over 100 targets simultaneously and integrate with NATO’s networked command systems, offering a level of interoperability the A-50 lacks. Its crew of 18 to 20 includes specialists who can manage a broader spectrum of missions, from air traffic control to battle management, and it boasts an endurance of over 11 hours without refueling.
The E-2 Hawkeye, a smaller carrier-based AEW&C aircraft, has a shorter range—about 320 kilometers for air targets—but excels in maritime operations and can operate in tighter spaces due to its compact design.
Both Western platforms benefit from advanced avionics and regular upgrades, whereas the A-50U, while modernized, relies on aging airframes and faces production challenges due to sanctions limiting access to Western components, as noted by Jacob Mesey of the Atlantic Council in a January 2024 analysis.
The operational and technical differences between the A-50 and its Western counterparts underscore their respective strengths and limitations. The A-50’s larger radar range suits Russia’s need to monitor vast territories, but its reliance on a centralized command structure—where data is often relayed through ground stations rather than directly to fighters—slows response times, a flaw highlighted in a 2023 Royal United Services Institute study.
In contrast, the E-3’s integration with real-time datalinks allows for faster decision-making, a critical edge in dynamic air combat. The A-50U’s upgrades, including its ability to detect “new types of aircraft” as claimed by Rostec in 2023, suggest efforts to counter emerging threats like Ukraine’s anticipated F-16 jets, but sanctions have hampered Russia’s ability to replace lost units or train sufficient crews.
The loss of experienced operators—each requiring years of training—compounds the material cost, estimated at over $300 million per aircraft, according to British Ministry of Defence assessments.
The reappearance of an A-50 over Orlovska Oblast after nearly a year of apparent inactivity prompts speculation about Russia’s motives and capabilities. From a technical perspective, it could indicate that Russia has repaired or redeployed one of its remaining aircraft, possibly the unit showcased by Russian media in early 2024 as evidence of fleet resilience.
Operationally, the move might reflect a tactical shift, perhaps to counter Ukraine’s growing air defense network or to prepare for the integration of Western-supplied F-16s into Ukrainian service, expected in 2025. The British Ministry of Defence suggested in November 2023 that Russia was updating its A-50 fleet to address such threats, a process likely accelerated by earlier losses.
Alternatively, the deployment could signal confidence in restored maintenance capabilities at facilities like the Taganrog Beriev Aviation Complex, which was targeted by Ukrainian drones in March 2024 but may have resumed limited operations. Analysts also consider the possibility that Russia is accepting greater risk to regain air superiority, a necessity as Ukraine adapts to Western support.
The aircraft’s presence near Orlovska Oblast, roughly 150 kilometers from Ukraine, keeps it within Russian territory yet close enough to monitor border regions, balancing safety with utility. Whatever the reason, this development underscores the A-50’s enduring importance to Russia’s war effort and the ongoing challenge of maintaining such assets under pressure.
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