Posted on 06/13/2014 8:23:42 PM PDT by tcrlaf
Anti-Kiev forces took down a Ukrainian military Il-76 jet as it was landing in Lugansk, the country’s Defense Ministry said. It did not provide details on casualties.
TSN.ua news website earlier cited an army source as saying that around 30 paratroopers were killed as self-defense forces hit the jet with a rocket early on Saturday.
The plane was transporting rotating military personnel and had “troops, machinery, equipment and food,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Il-76 is a heavy military transport aircraft that usually has a crew of seven and can transport up to 167 soldiers with weapons.
Meanwhile in Donetsk region, shooting resumed in Slavyansk and Kramatorsk late on Friday as the Ukrainian military continued its crackdown on self-defense forces in the country's east, a self-defense representative said.
Kiev is saying 30 killed,http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/u-lugansku-teroristi-zbili-il-76-z-ukrayinskimi-desantnikami-354514.html
The Interpreter is saying 49 killed. http://pressimus.com/Interpreter_Mag/press/3079
CNN is saying AT LEAST 49 killed.
This is supposedly CCTV footage of the shootdown. Missile launches from distant center, then there is a large flash of light off camera, to the left.
OOPS... CCTV footage link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIITqdAW_Pc#t=56
Another Tweet:
Ilyushin Il-76 shot down at Lugansk airport was carrying 5 crew - 140 troops of 25th Air Mobile Brigade. shot down during landing sequence
“140 troops of 25th Air Mobile Brigade. shot down during landing sequence”
I thought this unit was going to be disbanded for refusing to fire on civilians? Decimated perhaps?
Reconstitued maybe? The unit that refused to fire was the third batt. of the 25th, if I remember correctly.
They probably were cashiered then. I thought it was the entire unit.
If MANPADs are interspersed amongst civilians, regaining that territory from the air will involve levelling that area with carpet bombing at 35,000 feet. This is not a practical tactic when it’s your territory. I understand that our best ones cost a quarter of a million dollars apiece. This is a pretty darned good deal if one operated by someone who can point a gun is almost a sure thing at taking out a skilled flight crew and a $40-80 million dollar aircraft. Scary.
There’s a little more detail here—including video and still shots from the video:
Jeez, Obama and his crew of idiots and saboteurs are screwing things up world wide and domestically.
“I understand that our best ones cost a quarter of a million dollars apiece.”
Google tells me that an Igla can be bought on the worldwide black market for about $100K each.
In the case of the Rebels in Ukraine, they were lying around all over the place in Soviet-Era depots. Which is likely where many of the ones on the black market came from in the first place.
As many as 175 Igla’s were reported stolen from Ukrainian Army sites back in March.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.