Ukraine has announced that it successfully shot down an A-Fifty aircraft, utilized by the Russian military for espionage purposes. This marks the second instance this year where Ukraine claims to have downed a Russian military plane.

Mykola Oleshchuk, Ukraine's air force chief, expressed gratitude to his army's service and military intelligence for their role in bringing down the aircraft. The A-Fifty aircraft is renowned for its long-range radar detection capabilities.

According to Ukrainian military sources, the plane was intercepted and downed between the Russian cities of Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar, approximately 200 kilometers away from the conflict's front line.

As of now, Russia has refrained from providing any official comment on Ukraine's assertion.

Footage circulating online depicts the moment the aircraft was struck in mid-air, erupting into flames before crashing amidst a plume of dense, dark smoke.

This incident comes after Ukraine claimed to have shot down a Russian A-50 aircraft on January 14 earlier this year.

A briefing from the UK Ministry of Defense revealed that Russia currently operates six operational A-Fifty aircraft.

It's noteworthy that the timing of this event coincides with the two-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.