Blow to Russian air power as Kyiv shoots down two planes

Ukraine's military has said it shot down two of Russia's command planes, in one of the most disastrous days for the Kremlin's air power since Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion.

- Luke Harding 

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's commander-in-chief, said yesterday his air force had destroyed an A-50 longrange radar detection aircraft and an Il-22 control centre plane. Both were flying above the sea of Azov on Sunday when they were hit.

The A-50, which detects air defences and coordinates targets for Russian jets, crashed instantly, killing its crew. The badly damaged Il-22 appears to have made an emergency landing at an airfield in Anapa, Russia. It is unclear how Ukraine managed to target and shoot down the planes. One theory is that a Patriot anti-aircraft missile battery supplied by the US - was used. This, however, would involve moving the system close to the frontline where it could be detected.