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Military operation in Ukraine

Over 20 Ukrainian warplanes downed by S-400 system jointly with A-50 radar in past days

The S-400 air defense system reportedly delivered fire to the maximum range against the targets flying at an altitude of about 1,000 meters at the time of their destruction

MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. Russia employed the latest S-400 air defense system in conjunction with an A-50 flying radar in the special military operation in Ukraine, a source close to the Defense Ministry told TASS on Wednesday, commenting on the defense minister’s words that over 20 Ukrainian warplanes were downed by new weapons lately.

Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said earlier on Wednesday that Russian forces had received surface-to-air missile systems that shot down 24 Ukrainian combat aircraft over the past five days.

"In the course of its special military operation, Russia used the S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system in tandem with an A-50 long-range radar surveillance plane, which ensured the success of employing the system against enemy aircraft," the source said.

TASS has no official confirmation of this information yet.

The S-400 air defense system delivered fire to the maximum range against the targets flying at an altitude of about 1,000 meters at the time of their destruction and employed new missile warheads, the source specified.

S-400 surface-to-air missile system

Russia’s S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the latest long-and medium-range surface-to-air missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy strategic and tactical aircraft, including those based on stealth technology, cruise and ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons and can also be used against ground installations. The S-400 can engage targets at a distance of up to 400 km and at an altitude of up to 30 km under intensive enemy fire and jamming.

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