The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said that the downing of the Russian Tu-22MZ was a special operation by the agency in cooperation with the Air Force.
The intelligence agency said that the enemy Tu-22MZ was shot down at a distance of about 300 kilometres from Ukraine using the same means that had previously hit the Russian A-50 long-range radar and control aircraft. As a result of the damage, the bomber was able to fly to the Stavropol area, where it crashed.
The DIU also notes that this is the first successful destruction of a strategic bomber in the air during a combat mission during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
It should be noted that in February, the Ukrainian media, citing sources in the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, reported that a Russian A-50 aircraft was shot down from a Soviet S-200 anti-aircraft missile system. These SAMs were developed in the USSR 60 years ago, and the S-200 has undergone several upgrades since then.
For his part, Air Force spokesman Ilya Yevlash told Radio Svoboda that the downing of the Tu-22MZ is "a vendetta for the fact that Russian strategic aviation attacked our peaceful cities today, where civilians were killed."
"This is the first time that our Air Force, together with our partners from the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and other defence forces, managed to shoot down a Tu-22M3 strategic aviation aircraft. And for the first time, they also shot down two X-22 missiles fired by this aircraft. Of course, this is a combo. Today is a black day for the Russian propaganda media. I think they will be very, very unhappy today. Everything happens for the first time. We shot down a Kinzhal for the first time, and a Zircon for the first time. Now we have shot down a Tu-22 for the first time. Now we're waiting for the Tu-95," said Ilya Yevlash.
It is also worth noting that, according to Russian media, one of the pilots of the downed Tu-22 was killed.