The Kremlin’s decision to pull back its remaining Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft and fly them over Russian territory lends credence to Ukrainian claims that it destroyed one of the planes, British officials said.

On Friday, they said a Russian A-50 Mainstay aircraft “almost certainly” exploded Sunday before crashing into the Sea of Azov.

“The A-50 Mainstay is a key enabler for Russian operations over Ukraine, providing airborne early warning of threats as well as command and control functionality,” British intelligence officials said on X in their latest assessment of the battlefield conditions in Ukraine.

On Wednesday, another Russian air force A-50 was tracked operating over Russia’s Krasnodar region east of Ukraine.

“This activity is highly likely indicative of a reduced risk appetite for the airframe and an attempt to preserve remaining A-50 Mainstay at a loss to its overall effectiveness over Ukraine,” British officials said.

While noting that the Kremlin has yet to comment on the apparent loss of one of its A-50s, the decision to begin flying them over Russian territory is a “tacit acknowledgment” of a successful Ukrainian air defense mission, they said.

“If the loss of the Mainstay was an accident, then such a decision is unlikely to have been required,” the officials said.

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.