"Russian A-50 Spy Plane Loss Signals Shift in Air Force Strategy"

Ukraine's Air Force spokesperson reported that Russia flew a replacement A-50 spy plane over the Sea of Azov, days after Ukraine claimed to have shot down one. The A-50 is a Soviet-era reconnaissance aircraft used for preparing strikes and preventing enemy attacks. The British defense ministry stated that the A-50 "almost certainly exploded and subsequently crashed into the Sea of Azov" on January 14. Russian military bloggers have sought to shift the blame for the incident onto Moscow's own air defenses, while the Russian Air Force has reportedly begun operating another A-50 over land within Russian territory near the Krasnodar region.