KYIV, Jan 15 – Ukraine’s military said on Monday its air force destroyed a Russian Beriev A-50 surveillance plane and an Ilyushin Il-22 airborne command post in the Sea of Azov area in an operation that could delay some future Russian missile strikes.

Kyiv did not disclose how the sophisticated aircraft were struck nearly two years since Moscow’s full-scale invasion. The Sea of Azov lies roughly 100 km (60 miles) from areas Kyiv holds. Russia’s defence ministry had no immediate comment.