Taganrog Attack Levels One-of-a-Kind Laser Lab and Likely an A-100 Testbed

Ukraine completed one of its most symbolic strikes of the war over the Thanksgiving week, destroying an exceptionally rare Russian A-60 airborne laser laboratory during a large-scale drone and missile attack on Taganrog. Many other airframes, including what seems to be an A-100LL, were also impacted.

Satellite imagery was what confirmed that the unmistakable humped-spine aircraft, which was one of only two ever built, had been obliterated in the November 24–25 assault, alongside a second high-value airframe likely tied to Russia’s next-generation A-100 radar plane program.

The attack was just part of an overnight attack across Russia’s Rostov region and Krasnodar Krai, executed with a combination of Neptune land-attack cruise missiles and jet-powered Bars one-way attack drones. Ukraine’s long-range strike capability, which is primarily produced in-house, has expanded dramatically over the past year, assisting its precision further behind the front lines.

Taganrog is an especially sensitive site. It is home to the Beriev Aircraft Company, responsible for Russia’s A-50 and A-100 airborne early warning conversions, the A-60 laser platform, and even depot-level maintenance for Tu-95MS strategic bombers. Initial footage showed a large blaze on the flight line, and subsequent satellite photos posted on social media by Ukrainian OSINT researcher Dnipro Osint revealed that two aircraft were damaged beyond recognition.

The first loss was quickly identified as the A-60: a Cold War–era Il-76 derivative originally built to test airborne laser systems against high-altitude balloons. Although Russia had not flown the aircraft operationally since the late 2010s, it remained a one-of-a-kind testbed worth tens of millions and an engineering backbone for future directed-energy projects.

The second destroyed aircraft appears to have been an A-100LL, which is an Il-76 modified to test new radome, sensors, and systems for Russia’s troubled A-100 AEW&C platform. This loss may prove even more painful as the A-100 program has struggled for years under sanctions, with only one near-operational example built. Eliminating its flying testbed will likely slow the program by years.

The strike also somewhat ironically appears to have damaged an S-400 battery tasked with defending the airfield. In total, Ukraine has now destroyed or disabled at least four high-value Russian AEW&C or specialty aircraft in the past year.

FMI: https://mod.gov.ua