Ukraine claims it shot down two Russian command and control aircraft

A Russian Beriev A-50 airborne early warning and control plane is said to have been brought down by Ukrainian forces (AP)

The Ukrainian air force has shot down a Russian Beriev A-50 early warning and control plane and an IL-22 command centre aircraft in a significant blow for the Kremlin’s forces, Kyiv’s military chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi has claimed.

The planes are key tools in helping orchestrate Russian battlefield movements.