On the night of March 20, Ukraine’s Defense Forces carried out strikes on strategic targets associated with Russian military operations. According to a statement published on the official Facebook page of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the attack resulted in confirmed damage to an A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft, as well as strikes on a facility in Alchevsk.
Ukrainian forces targeted facilities of the Alchevsk Metallurgical Plant, located in the temporarily occupied territory of the Luhansk region. The enterprise is involved in the production of artillery shell casings, including casting and initial processing of large-caliber components, as well as the manufacturing and repair of armored steel used in military equipment.
In addition, strikes were recorded against infrastructure at the “Vostochny” training ground, located near the settlement of Novopetrivka in the temporarily occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region. The extent of the damage and the losses sustained are still being уточed.
Further details were also provided regarding a recent strike on facilities of the 123rd Aircraft Repair Plant in the city of Staraya Russa, Novgorod region, Russia. The attack damaged a hangar used for servicing Il-76 and L-410 aircraft. It has since been confirmed that an A-50 aircraft was also damaged.
The A-50 is an airborne early warning and control aircraft developed on the basis of the Il-76 military transport platform. It is used for detecting and tracking aerial and surface targets, relaying situational data to command centers, and coordinating fighter and strike aircraft during operations against air, ground, and maritime targets. It can also function as an airborne command post. The aircraft was likely at the facility for maintenance and may have been awaiting modernization.
In addition to the facility in Staraya Russa, another Russian aircraft manufacturing plant was recently targeted. Ukraine’s Defense Forces reportedly struck infrastructure at the Aviastar plant, located near the city of Ulyanovsk in the Ulyanovsk region of Russia.
The enterprise is part of the United Aircraft Corporation, which operates under Rostec, and plays a key role in the production of Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft, Il-78M-90A aerial refueling aircraft, as well as in the maintenance of heavy transport aircraft such as the An-124 “Ruslan.”
According to preliminary data, the strike damaged a climate-controlled shelter and aircraft parking areas. In addition, several aircraft located on the premises sustained varying degrees of damage.
Read also:
- Middle Strike in Donetsk Region: Ukraine Hits Base of Russia’s Classified “Rubicon” Center
- Ukrainian Drones Strike One of Russia’s Key Aircraft Repair Plants
Source: facebook
