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necessitate an engine replacement, meaning the
aircraft would be out of operation for some time.
On Sunday, January 28th, footage of the
emergency landing of another Su-34 was
released. It is unclear where and when the
incident occurred. The main landing gear did not
deploy, and the aircraft landed only on the front
landing gear. It can be seen that the navigator
had already ejected before and landed on
a parachute.
During the observed period, there was
also the emergency landing of a helicopter.
An Mi-8MTV-5 with the designation RF-92064
and fuselage number "red 21" collided with power
lines on Wednesday, January 17th, during a flight
in the Russian Bryansk region. With a broken tail
rotor boom, it ended up in a ditch next to the road,
but the fuselage remained intact, and the crew
escaped unharmed.
At least some of these accidents are
attributed to the war, leading to neglect of
maintenance and increased stress and fatigue
among pilots. The situation is even worse
in Russian civil aviation. Sanctions prevent
foreign companies from providing service
and spare parts for aircraft used by Russian
airlines, leading to an increase in malfunctions.
The Wall Street Journal reported that while
there were 36 incidents involving passenger
aircraft in Russia in 2022, in 2023, there were
at least 74. According to Ukrainian intelligence,
based on secret data obtained from the Russian
state authority Rosaviatsiya, the actual number
of accidents in 2023 was much higher, exceeding
200. At the turn of the years, incidents occurred
in Russia where passenger aircraft had to return,
make emergency landings, or did not take off at
all, practically every day.
On the Ukrainian side, there was one
loss during the observed period. On Friday,
January 5th, during a combat flight, MiG-29
pilot Vladyslav Zalistovsky with the callsign
"Blue Helmet" perished. He served in the 114th
Tactical Aviation Brigade. He was 23 years old
and had graduated from the aviation faculty
of the National University of Air Force of Ivan
Kozhedub in Kharkiv in 2021.
The circumstances of his death
are not known, but he was likely
shot down.
Russian Air Raids
The Russian bombing offensive
against Ukrainian cities, which
began at the end of December,
continued into the second day of
January. On Tuesday, January 2nd,
early in the morning, the Russians
released 35 Iranian Shahed
drones to map the positions of the
Ukrainian air defense. All 35 drones
were shot down by the Ukrainian air
defense.
Subsequently, 16 Tu-95MS
bombers took off, releasing
70 low-flying cruise missiles.
MiG-31K aircraft launched
10 Kinzhal missiles, and Su-35s
joined in with four Ch-31P missiles against
radars. From ground launchers, the Russians
fired 12 Iskander ballistic missiles and S-300
missiles.
In total, Russia sent at least 134 missiles
and drones to Ukraine. Ukraine claimed to have
shot down 107 of them. Ukrainian air defense,
for example, claimed the destruction of all
10 Kinzhal missiles. There is a video showing
the fall of one of them into the Dnieper River
near residential buildings. However, none of
the Iskanders and Ch-31P missiles were shot
down. On the contrary, 59 Ch-101 and Ch-555
low-flying cruise missiles were destroyed,
as well as three Kalibr missiles launched from
a ship or submarine. This was their first use
since September of the previous year, indicating
the deep crisis of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
The Russian attack on January 2nd primarily
targeted the Kyiv area in the morning, resulting
in three dead and 27 injured. In the evening,
the bombardment continued in Kharkiv, where
a school building was hit.
No collateral damage...
However, not all Russian missiles reached
Su-34 during an emergency landing without the main landing
gear. Note that the navigator is already "out."
Russian Mi-8MTV-5 with the designation RF-92064 after a crash in the Bryansk region.
Ukrainian pilot Vladyslav Zalistovsky died on January 5 during
a combat flight in the MiG-29. His callsign was "Blue Helmet."
Shahed drone shot down during Russian attacks
on Ukraine.
HISTORY
INFO Eduard34
March 2024