Ukraine Strikes Russian Air Base,Destroying Key A-100LL Test Aircraft
TAGANROG,Russia - Ukrainian forces successfully targeted a military site in Russia’s Taganrog region,destroying a rare and valuable A-100LL “flying laboratory” aircraft,Ukrainian officials confirmed today. The operation, conducted using long-range unidirectional drones and Neptune cruise missiles, struck a facility located over 100 km from the front lines.
The A-100LL was a crucial test platform for Russia’s next-generation A-100 advanced air surveillance and command aircraft, intended too replace the aging Soviet-era AWACS A-50.Its destruction represents a notable setback for Moscow’s aerospace advancement program. Satellite imagery shared on Ukrainian Telegram channels reveals extensive damage, including wreckage of two aircraft alongside damaged military hangars.
According to RBC Ukraine, the A-100LL, which first flew on October 26, 2016, was used exclusively for technological development related to the A-100 project. Designed by the Beriev aeronautical company, the aircraft was regularly stationed at the Taganrog air base, a primary site for the defense company, making it a strategic target for Ukraine.
Along with the A-100LL, the attack also caused damage to another experimental aircraft, identified as an A-60. The strike underscores Ukraine’s increasing ability to reach targets deep within Russian territory and its focus on disrupting Moscow’s military-industrial complex.
