KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s air force has shot down a Russian early warning and control aircraft that can detect targets up to 650 kilometers (400 miles) away, as well as a key command center aircraft that relays information to ground troops Blow to the Kremlin’s armed forces, Ukraine’s military chief said on Monday.

The aircraft are fundamental tools for orchestrating Russian battlefield movements in Ukraine. Their shooting, if confirmed, would be a milestone for Ukraine in the almost two-year war, as the fighting on the front largely descends into trench warfare and artillery warfare.

Russia has largely secured its air sovereignty during the war, as Ukraine battles Moscow’s more modern aircraft with its fleet of Soviet-era fighter jets.

Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the commander in chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, did not say how the two planes – a Beriev A-50 and an Il-22 – were shot down, but Ukraine has received sophisticated air defense systems from its Western allies.

Zaluzhnyi also did not say where the interceptions took place, although he attached to his social media post a video of an aircraft tracker showing two targets disappearing over the Sea of ​​Azov, which lies between Ukraine and Russia, north of the Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea.

There was initially no official comment from Moscow. Russian war bloggers said both planes came under friendly fire, but provided no evidence of this. They claimed the Il-22 was damaged, but managed a successful landing.

The A-50, which is equipped with a large radar, typically has a crew of 15. The Russian Air Force reportedly has a fleet of nine such aircraft in service.

A drone strike in February 2023 at an airfield in Belarus damaged a parked A-50, but Russian and Belarusian officials described the damage as minor.

The Il-22 is an airborne command post. It monitors military operations and sends radio signals to troops on the front lines. The Russian Air Force reportedly has a dozen such aircraft.

Ukraine is eager to impress its Western supporters with its ability to use the advanced weapons it has received.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was scheduled to meet Swiss President Viola Amherd in Bern later on Monday before attending the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.

Ukrainian officials are scrambling to focus the world’s attention on the war, fearing the conflict is sliding down the list of global priorities.

The United Nations on Monday appealed for $4.2 billion to help people in Ukraine and those displaced outside the country this year.

Martin Griffiths, UN humanitarian chief, acknowledged that “competition for funding is increasing due to crises elsewhere, including the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.”

Russia, meanwhile, has been eager to deepen its ties with North Korea, whose foreign minister began a three-day visit to Moscow on Monday.

The Kremlin is eager to replenish its weapons stocks. More recently, it has turned to Iran and North Korea for supplies.

The U.S. and its allies say Pyongyang likely supplied Russia with several types of missiles to support its war in Ukraine, as well as supplying widely reported ammunition and grenades.

According to official information, Russian and Iranian defense and foreign ministers held a telephone conversation on Monday to discuss bilateral military and military-technical cooperation as well as regional security issues. They noted that the two countries are preparing to sign a landmark cooperation agreement.

Ukraine is also committed to stockpiling for a protracted conflict and is “dramatically expanding” its domestic military production capacity, a US think tank said.

Ukraine is well placed to successfully implement its plans to offset any shortfalls in Western-supplied weapons, the Institute for the Study of War said.

“Ukraine is heavily industrialized and has a highly educated and tech-savvy population,” the think tank said late Sunday. “During the Soviet era, the country had a huge arms industry and remained a major arms exporter even after independence.”

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