Russian A-50 planes, the eyes of the Russian Air Force’s bombers, have not appeared over the Sea of ​​Azov for a sixth day, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on national television Saturday.

“This is a good and pleasant fact for us,” Ihnat said.

Ihnat said that Russian Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft can no longer feel free to fly as freely as they have through much of the full-scale invasion. Pilots and their commanders are now acting more cautiously. 

And this allows Ukraine to “take a breather.”

“Su-34 and Su-35 can no longer feel free. A guided aerial bomb has a limited range. In order to reach further away, you need to fly closer. It can be a one-way ticket to fly closer. The pilots and their command understand this very well and act more carefully,” Ihnat said.

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On Friday, the Ukrainian military knocked out another Russian SU-34 that had been geared up with guided bombs. 

It shot down 13 jets in as many days, perhaps due to compromised Russian avionics.

On Jan. 14 and Feb. 23, Ukrainian shot down A-50s that the Russians had been using for long-range radar detection and targeting in Ukraine.

The Crimean Wind monitoring group posted on Telegram that almost half of Russian A-50 anti-aircraft defense aircraft are out of order.

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