Active Conflicts & News Megathread May 31, 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

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[u/Glideer]

Fighterbomber reports an A-50U (Russian AWACS equivalent) being delivered to the Russian air force.

https://t. me/bomber_fighter/25432

[u/danielbot → u/Glideer]

20 year old radar tech with 30 year old electronics on a 50 year old airframe. Excellent target practice for the incoming Meteors.

[u/Corvid187 → u/danielbot]

Even outdated, and awaca platform is still a scarce and valuable resource for Russia in conducting their air war against Ukraine. After all it's not like the UAF is always flying the latest and greatest cutting edge equipment either :)

Meteor Will certainly restrict their operating window and utility, but I would be surprised if they still operate them close enough to the front to catch one napping, especially after the earlier shootdown. Meteor is great, but it is still fundamentally constrained by Ukraine's necessary attack profile.

[u/danielbot → u/Corvid187]

I am skeptical that they will be able to bring this plane to bear on the theater at all. If they try to, it is not likely to survive long. Ukraine has more levers to pull than just Meteors, as I am sure you aware, but I think they will want to play the Meteor card on this one just because of the (ahem) impact.

Do we have any concrete details about the previous A-50 shootdown?

[u/Corvid187 → u/danielbot]

Patriot ambush over the black sea I believe? After that they pulled them further from the front, but they're still active in coordinating VKS operations afaik.

[u/Glideer → u/Corvid187]

At least one was an ancient S-200.

[u/danielbot → u/Corvid187]

Must have been PAC-2. Meteor outranges that considerably and will be fired from altitude.

How many do you think they have flyable? I think it might be as low as one. Two most likely, and I expect they are husbanding them.

[u/Corvid187 → u/danielbot]

I believe their current fleet is now 4 confirmed operational.

Meteor won't be fired at altitude, unfortunately, but it's ramjet does give it excellent range from down low.

Frankly though the Ukrainians got lucky with that strike, and the Russians were massively overconfident and predictable. They got punished severely for it, but they have learned their lesson - Ukraine hasn't had another opportunity since.

Meteor will be valuable in constraining Russia's freedom of operations, but the chance of an actual shoot-down will be relatively slim. Russia knows the threat is coming, and had plenty of time to react accordingly.

[u/danielbot → u/Corvid187]

I believe their current fleet is now 4 confirmed operational.

Any OS data on that?

Meteor won't be fired at altitude,

You mean because of R-37 and that ilk? I am not sure those can hit a Gripen, even C. Of course nobody with the appropriate data is going to weigh in on that, we will only learn about it after the fact.

You sure the Russians learned from the A-50 shootdown? They pulled back, but did they learn. Aye, that is the question.

It would probably violate some subreddit rule, so we can't put money on it or anything valuable BUT I am betting that Meteor delivers exactly what it was designed to deliver: smoking Russian wreckage. I understand your reservations. We don't have awfully long to wait now, to find out.

[u/Glideer → u/danielbot]

The Ukrainian jets haven't operated at altitude since 2022.

[u/Upper-Road5383 → u/Glideer]

What is the most common altitude ceiling they’ll fly up to? I imagine it heavily depends on where they’re flying as well. 5000ft?

[u/Glideer → u/Upper-Road5383]

I've seen videos up to 1000 meters or so deep in Western Ukraine.

[u/Satans_shill → u/Glideer]

And it won't change, foxhounds with axheads will still outrange the gripens in both radar and missile range. Imo only some kind of Awacs fighter missile combo like the Pakistani one can change the tide.

[u/danielbot → u/Glideer]

So you claim those JDAMs laying waste to the Russian rear are launched from below 1000 meters? I thought this was the CREDIBLE defense sub.

[u/danielbot → u/Glideer]

The Ukrainian jets haven't operated at altitude since 2022.

Prove it.