Russia Destroys Ukrainian Command Post that Received Data from NATO AWACS

A Russian precision-guided missile struck a command post of the Ukrainian Air Force in Vinnitsa that was receiving intelligence from NATO’s E-3A AWACS- Airborne Warning And Control System- aircraft .

“On the morning of March 16, high-precision long-range weapons struck at the military communications center of Ukraine located in the village of Vinnitsa. As a result, communications, intelligence, relaying and switching centers are disabled,” said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov at a briefing today.

Konashenkov said that the communications center included a command post of the Ukrainian Air Force which was receiving intelligence regarding the movement of Russian aircraft from NATO’s radar detection aircraft flying over Poland.

“The leadership of the Ukrainian armed forces is trying to make up for the lack of information about the air situation by obtaining data at the air force command post in Vinnitsa from E-3A aircraft of the NATO AWACS system. These aircraft are on round-the-clock duty in Polish airspace,” he said.

With the disabling of the Ukrainian military’s NATO data-receving center, its air force and air defense systems will not be able to obtain intelligence that would helped them to locate and destory Russian aircraft.

According to NATO information, the E-3A usually operates at an altitude of around 10 km from it can constantly monitor the airspace within a radius of more than 400 km and can exchange information – via digital data links – with ground-based, sea-based and airborne commanders.

By using pulse Doppler radar, an E-3A flying within NATO airspace can distinguish between targets and ground reflections and is therefore able to give early warning of low- or high-flying aircraft operating over the territory of a potential aggressor.

NATO had earlier revealed that it would provide intelligence to the Ukrainian Air Force to help counter the Russian air assault.