Turkish and Greek media reported a imaginable decision of the Ukrainian Saab 340 AEW&C Russian Su-57 utilizing a rocket R-37M. There is nary authoritative confirmation yet.
Greek media with notation to Turkish publications reported the imaginable decision of a Ukrainian long-range radar detection craft Saab 340 AEW&C Russian combatant Su-57. According to this version, the strike was caused by a long-range rocket R-37M implicit eastbound Ukraine.
The connection sounds loud, but it requires caution. At the clip of verification there is nary authoritative confirmation from Ukraine, Russia oregon Swedenas well arsenic autarkic confirmation from large planetary agencies. Therefore, it is much close to talk not astir the proven demolition of the plane, but astir the study of the Turkish and Greek media, which so acold remains unconfirmed.
Rus ??R-37M Uzun Menzilli Hava-Hava Füzesi, Doğu Ukrayna ??üzerinde İsveç ??SAAB 340 AEW&C uçağını vurdu.
Saldırı, Rus ??Su-57 savaş uçağı tarafından gerçekleştirildi.
AB ??istihbaratı, Avrupa’nın R-37’nin menzilini karşılayamama konusundaki endişeleri rapor etmişti. pic.twitter.com/esSmQvZ9bk
— Mesut Hakkı Caşın (@MesutCasin) May 10, 2026
However, the topic itself does not look technically impossible. Sweden truly conveyed Ukraine two planes ASC 890also known arsenic Saab 340 AEW&C. These vehicles are designed for aerial surveillance, aboriginal warning and coordination of aerial defence and aviation actions. Their quality was supposed to strengthen the Ukrainian target detection system, particularly successful conjunction with Western fighters.
Why the Saab 340 AEW&C would beryllium an important target
Saab 340 AEW&C – This is not an onslaught aircraft, but an aerial bid and reconnaissance unit. Its task is to spot further than ground-based radars and idiosyncratic fighters, track aerial targets, transmit information and assistance physique an wide representation of the battle. For an service that is receiving the F-16 and is trying to make a much modern aerial defence system, such an craft has tremendous value.
That is why such machines are precedence targets. Losing astatine slightest 1 Saab 340 AEW&C would beryllium a superior stroke to the Ukrainian aerial surveillance system. Sweden transferred lone two such craft to Ukraine, and this is not instrumentality that tin beryllium rapidly replaced from a warehouse, arsenic if we were talking astir a acceptable of tires. This, alas, is not a subject aviation marketplace.
Russian rocket R-37Malso known successful export version arsenic RVV-BDwas specifically created to destruct valuable aerial targets astatine agelong distances: AWACS aircraft, aerial bid posts, tankers and different ample objects. Open sources bespeak that its scope tin scope hundreds of kilometers depending connected the motorboat illustration and target.
This rocket is used by Russian fighters MiG-31BM, Su-35S and, according to some data, tin beryllium used oregon integrated with Su-57. That is why the exertion version R-37M against an aboriginal warning craft sounds technically logical. But technical logic does not adjacent proven fact.
What successful this version raises questions
The main occupation with the connection is the deficiency of confirmation. If Ukrainian Saab 340 AEW&C was so changeable down, this would go 1 of the astir superior aviation episodes of caller months. Such a nonaccomplishment would hardly spell unnoticed by subject analysts, outer observers, Western media and structures monitoring craft movements.
In addition, such an aircraft, arsenic a rule, should not run adjacent to the beforehand line. Its value lies precisely successful the information that it tin behaviour surveillance from a distance, remaining extracurricular the astir unsafe zone. However, agelong scope R-37M This is precisely what creates a hazard for such targets: the Russian broadside whitethorn try to deed them from distances that until precocious were considered comparatively safe.
If the study is confirmed, it will mean that Russian aviation has the quality to endanger Ukrainian aboriginal warning craft heavy successful the rear. This will dramatically summation the risks for the full Ukrainian aerial surveillance architecture and could impact the use of Western fighters.
If the connection is not confirmed, it will stay portion of the accusation war astir uncommon and valuable instrumentality transferred to Ukraine by the West. And here, too, everything is clear: the less such craft Ukraine has, the higher the propaganda value of immoderate statement astir their destruction.
Why did the Greek media prime up the message?
For the Greek audience, this story is absorbing not lone arsenic an occurrence of the war successful Ukraine. Saab 340 AEW&C besides has a Greek trace: craft of this household were antecedently used Greece earlier switching to systems Erieye based connected Embraer. Therefore, the level itself is acquainted to the Greek subject situation and arouses further interest.
In addition, Greek media successful caller months person progressively drawn attraction to however the Ukrainian struggle affects the broader European information circuit: drones, maritime routes, energy, aerial defense, arms supplies and risks for countries that are not formally straight progressive successful the fighting.
Against this background, a connection astir a imaginable decision Saab 340 AEW&C Russian Su-57 looks similar portion of a larger picture: the war is gradually becoming not lone a war of the front, but besides a war of sensors, long-range missiles, reconnaissance and power systems. In such a war, a strike connected an AWACS craft whitethorn beryllium much important than the demolition of a accepted combat vehicle.
For now, the main decision should beryllium restrained. Report of the decision of the Ukrainian Saab 340 AEW&C Russian rocket R-37M exists successful the accusation field, but has not been officially confirmed. Technically, such a script is possible, strategically such a extremity would beryllium highly valuable, but journalistically this is not yet a fact, but a version that requires confirmation.
In different words, if the level is truly changeable down, this is simply a superior stroke to the Ukrainian aerial surveillance system. If not, we person different illustration of however war produces quality faster than facts tin enactment connected their boots. And then everyone pretends that this is however it was intended.
Greek (GR) · 
English (US) ·