The Russian A-50U airborne early warning and control aircraft with registration number RF-50608 crossed the Russian Federation and Belarus border.

The Belarusian Gayun monitoring group reported this.

According to preliminary information, the aircraft is headed to the 325th Aviation Repair Plant in Taganrog. It is there that the equipment of A-50 is repaired.

Also, a video capturing the aircraft taking off from the Machulishchy air base in Belarus was released online.

This time, however, the plane is not taking off with a Russian MiG-31K, as is usually the case, but to leave Belarus.

Therefore, there are probably problems with the serviceability of the aircraft’s systems.

Explosions at the Machulishchy air base

On February 26, information was released on the explosions at the Machulishchy air base in Belarus, where the Russian А-50U airborne early warning and control aircraft and MiG-31K fighter jets of the Russian Air Force are stationed.

The Belarusian BYPOL community stated that resistance used drones to damage equipment at the air base.

Damage to the front and central part of the aircraft was reported.

Immediately after the incident, local residents reported increased traffic police control in the region and a large number of internal troops. It is worth noting that the Machulishchy air base is located 12 km away from Minsk.

Belarusian media also reported on increased control at checkpoints on the border with Lithuania and Poland.

Subsequently, the Belarusian Gayun monitoring group reported that after the explosions, an Il-76 associated with the 610th center for combat use and retraining of flight personnel (military transport aviation personnel) appeared on the territory of the Machulishchy air base. This center is located at the Ivanovo Severny air base.

The base and the 308th aviation plant are also located there.

It is noted that the 610th center is storing, modernizing, and repairing the A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft.

It was assumed that specialists to service the aircraft could have arrived in Belarus on this board.

On February 28, satellite images capturing the plane were published online. However, according to this photo, the aircraft did not suffer significant damage: it lacked specific traces that could have been there from a fire or explosion.

As previously reported, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in February 2022, four A-50U airborne early warning and control aircraft have been stationed in Belarus at different times. Those were aircraft with registration numbers RF-93966, RF 94268, RF 50610, and RF 50608.

A-50U RF 50608 performed its regular mission in Belarus from January 2023. The aircraft took off in tandem with the Russian Aerospace Forces’ MiG-31K, the last time such an operation was reported on February 22, 2023.