Russian military aircraft sustains two major damages: details of attack on A-50 near Minsk are revealed

ByPol, the Belarusian partisan organisation, reports that two DJI drones were used in the attack on the Russian reconnaissance warplane. They were specially converted into 'kamikaze' drones. Each of them carried a charge of 200 grams of TNT equivalent explosives.

The drones also had cargo for additional damage. Namely the metal balls – 200 pieces per drone.

According to published satellite imagery, the A-50 suffered two significant hits.

ByPol writes that the plane's three-coordinate radar station, namely the locator, which is a key element, was damaged. According to the group, the antenna will have to be replaced entirely with its complete disassembly and dismantling. The antenna of the "friend or foe" recognition system, which is located under the fairing, will also have to be replaced.

The satellite images also show damage in the area of the satellite radio antenna fairing. This is the front of the aircraft near the nose section.

ByPol notes that the metal balls could also cause significant damage. They could have hit the A-50's skin and penetrated deep into its hull, where many important wires are stretched, both powering and communicating or controlling. Bullet fragments could have torn the wires and melted them together with the fire.

“We cannot see and assess this type of damage on satellite images. The second hit should be assessed in the same way,” ByPol emphasized.

The group also notes that the complexity and amount of damage may be affected by whether the plane caught fire after the explosions. The way it was localized also plays a role. If the fire was extinguished, there is a high probability that extinguishing agents got into the damaged areas of the plane. This can disable the radar system.

• On the morning of February 26, two explosions occurred at the Machulishchy military airfield near Minsk, damaging a Russian Beriev A-50 reconnaissance aircraft and snow plows.

• After the explosions at the airfield, Russian A-50 service center planes arrived in Machulishchy.

• Subsequently, at least 6 people were detained on suspicion of involvement in the Machulishchy explosions.