Putin’s £56m warplane ‘destroyed’ in devastating Ukraine attack on air base
Vladimir Putin has faced another blow after Russia’s £56million warplane was allegedly blown up by Ukrainian forces.
It is believed that among the destroyed or seriously damaged aircraft is a Beriev Be-200 – an incredibly rare aircraft.
The extent of the damage remains unknown, however it has been reported that the satellite images from Planet Labs implies significant damage to one of the Be-200s.
Costing around £56m according to Aircraft24, the warplane is capable of taking off from and landing on both land and sea.
Russia reportedly had just three of the versatile aircrafts – making the potential destruction of one more significant.
It comes after Ukraine’s infrastructure was hit at the mercy of Russian missiles.
Ukraine has seen a series of drone and missile attacks damaging it energy infrastructure over recent days.
Chiefs say they can “count on one hand” the thermal and hydro power plants across the country that are not yet badly damaged or totally destroyed.
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However, experts claim Ukraine’s retaliation attacks are “significantly degrading” Russia’s “once formidable” Black Sea fleet.
“Ukraine has indeed made remarkable strides in the Black Sea over the past two years,” Dr Leon Hartwell told The Daily Express.
“It has significantly degraded Russia’s once formidable Black Sea Fleet, rendering a third of it inoperable and compelling the remainder into retreat.
“The Black Sea holds paramount importance for both Ukraine and Russia due to its strategic location, influencing military strategies, economic endeavors, and geopolitical trajectories.”
Last week, it was reported that thousands of Russian troops were fleeing the front line in Ukraine as asylum claims from Russia surge.
Neighbouring countries are split over whether to accept those fleeing poor conditions with some seeing them as potential assets with others fearing they pose a risk to national security.
Activist groups have helped more than 520 active-duty soldiers and officers flee this year.