During strikes by UAVs on April 5 at Russian airfields, the Ukrainian military could damage a rare Be-200 amphibious aircraft.
What is known about the defeat by Ukrainian drones of a rare amphibious aircraft of the Russian army
Journalists of the publication remind that on April 5, the airbases of the criminal army of the Russian Federation in Yeisk, Kursk and Engels-2, respectively 100, 200 and 400 miles from the front line in Ukraine, were attacked.
According to the publication, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported the destruction of 7 military aircraft of the occupying army of the Russian Federation.
The Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies counted eight Russian aircraft destroyed and eight damaged.
Meanwhile, according to satellite images, as emphasized in the article, only one aircraft was damaged — a rare Be-200 flying boat with a jet engine.
The Be-200 is a new search and rescue transport aircraft of the Russian Army, which can land on water and carry several tons of payload.
At least some of the drones that struck Yeisk exploded on the platform on the northeastern edge of the base.
The Russian Navy has parked several of its aircraft there, including turboprop and jet transports, a pair of Sukhoi fighter-bombers and one of the 30-tonne Be-200 two-seat aircraft.
Planet Labs satellite images taken after the drone strike show damage to the Be-200, including a missing wing panel and a fuel leak.
The Russian Navy received its first Be-200 just four years ago and reportedly has three aircraft in service to complement its fleet of very old Be-12 amphibious amphibious vehicles.
Perhaps the damaged Be-200 can be repaired, or perhaps it will be written off.
The Be-200 may not be a naval Be-200. This may be an aircraft of the Beriev factory, which is kept in service for testing.
Beriev has a factory in Yeisk where he builds large aircraft, including the Be-200 and the A-50 missile attack early warning aircraft.
How the loss of the Be-200 will affect the capabilities of the Russian army
It is possible that the Ukrainian drone operators were trying to shoot down the Be-200 in order to deprive the Russian fleet of a valuable search and rescue vehicle. It is also possible that the operators once again targeted the plant's production capacity.
The authors of the material note that the damage to the Be-200 in any case further depletes the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, which has already suffered numerous ship losses.
Ukrainian missile and drone raids and sabotage have damaged or destroyed a quarter of the navy's large warships and several of its aircraft, including one rare flying boat that is very difficult to replace.
