Reports are emerging that Belarusian partisans reportedly carried out a successful attack on a Russian A-50 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft while it was stationed at the Machulyshche airbase.
According to the Belarusian organization BYPOL, opposed to President Lukashenko’s government, an AEW&C A-50U aircraft was attacked and severely damaged by a special operation orchestrated by partisans of the so-called Victory Plan.
Monitoring group Belarusian Hajun, which tracks Russian military equipment traveling to Belarus, tweeted that the plane, worth $330 million, had arrived in the country on January 3 and had made 12 flights in 54 days.
According to information shared by BYPOL, the attack would have been carried out with two drones, which would have hit the front and center fuselage of the A-50U, causing extensive damage to the aircraft structure and radar radome. The aircraft was reportedly taken out of service for an undetermined period of time.
Following the incident, the police forces deployed an extensive operation to apprehend the perpetrators. Cars on the nearby highway were stopped and inspected. Their occupants were asked for their papers and even their cell phones were checked.
However, various sources report that the Belarusian partisans are reportedly already safely out of the country.
Since the start of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Belarus has remained an ally of Russia, but has not entered into any direct conflict. However, Lukashenko said this month that if any aggression is committed against Belarus, the country would respond.
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