Vladimir Putin’s forces have been accused of accidentally down one of their own spy planes.
According to Russian military bloggers supportive of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, forces embedded in the port of Mariupol, in the south-east of Ukraine, failed to recognise the £275million Beriev A-50 Soviet-built aircraft and targeted it with air defence missiles.
Vladimir Romanov, who posted two videos of the alleged military blunder online, said the plane came down by the Sea of Azov near Ukraine’s border with Russia.
“The enemy has nothing to do with it again,” Romanov told his 140,000 followers, claiming the launches came from Mariupol, south of the Donetsk Oblast.
“After being hit by an air defence missile (not fired by the enemy) the A-50 broke into two parts,” he wrote.
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Russia’s A-50s typically have a 15-person crew and are the size of a transport aircraft.
They carry a large fixed radar, and are capable of spotting targets up to 400 miles away.
Such aircraft are key for providing commanders with information about enemy positions.
Russia reportedly began the war with nine A-50s and is unable to manufacture any more.
