In February 2024, Russia confirmed that a Ukrainian missile shot down a Russian A-50 "flying radar" over the Krasnodar Territory. This incident led to the in absentia arrest of a Ukrainian army colonel, whom Russian authorities suspect of ordering the attack on February 23. The downing resulted in the deaths of 10 crew members. According to Kommersant, the Investigative Committee indicated that the plane was patrolling Russian airspace at the time, although specifics on the type of planes involved were not provided.
Ukraine had previously reported the incident occurring in the Sea of Azov region in February. Additionally, just over a month earlier, on January 14, 2024, another A-50 was shot down. An American publication later confirmed that the Patriot missile system supplied by the United States was used in this earlier incident.
In a separate incident, a significant fire broke out in Azov, Rostov Region, adjacent to Ukraine, following drone strikes. The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that more than 70 firefighters and 21 units of equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire. Local Telegram channels and regional authorities attributed the fire to Ukrainian drone strikes.
Governor Vasiliy Golubev of the Rostov region provided further details, stating that a tanker carrying petroleum products had caught fire. Despite the intensity of the blaze, no casualties were reported. Earlier reports on Telegram had indicated that the fire had broken out at a methanol production plant following the drone attack, although specific details were not disclosed.
