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Further Russian Losses
In addition to the Okhotnik drone,
the Russian Air Force suffered relatively high
losses during the observed period, losing
five aircraft and one helicopter. Interestingly,
most of these losses occurred under unclear
circumstances, leading some media outlets to
speculate that Ukrainian F-16 fighters might
be responsible for shooting down some of
these aircraft. However, there is no evidence
to support this claim.
The first Russian loss in October occurred
on Wednesday, October 2, in an unspecified
area of Ukraine. A Su-25 attack aircraft from
the 960th Assault Aviation Regiment crashed,
killing Lieutenant Colonel Igor Gaivoronsky.
It is reported that the crash was caused either
by a technical malfunction or pilot error.
The aircraft was likely flying low, and the pilot
did not have time to eject.
On Thursday, October 10, a Yak-130 trainer jet
crashed under unknown circumstances in the
Volgograd region. The pilots ejected and were
hospitalized. The case is being investigated by
the military prosecutor’s office of the Southern
Military District.
The streak of losses continued on Saturday,
October 12, when a Su-34 fighter-bomber
crashed under unclear circumstances. Both
crew members died in the incident. Two weeks
later, on Saturday, October 26, Russia lost
two more aircraft. In the first case, a Su-25
attack aircraft crashed after running out
of fuel just before reaching its destination
airport. The pilot ejected safely. On the same
day, a Mi-28 helicopter crashed into the Kerch
Strait between occupied Crimea and Russia.
It belonged to the 487th Independent Helicopter
Regiment, and both crew members, including
Captain Artem Pavlov, were killed.
At the very end of the month, on Thursday,
October 31, Russia lost another Su-34. Again,
the circumstances of its loss remain unclear.
The aircraft belonged to the 2nd Mixed Aviation
Regiment, and its two crew members perished.
One of the airmen was identified as Captain
Arman Bigalinov.
During this period, the first photos surfaced
of the wreckage of a Russian Mi-24 helicopter
that had been destroyed on April 5, 2023,
near the village of Berestove in the Bakhmut
district. Members of the Ukrainian 10th
Separate Mountain Brigade shot it down using
a Polish-made Piorun portable missile system.
The helicopter’s crew—Major Vyacheslav
Dolgobrod and Senior Lieutenant Ilnaz
Fazylov—did not survive. While the downing of
this Mi-24 was known, until now, only distant
footage of the burning wreckage had been
available.
In another case, the circumstances remain
unclear. Social media in October featured
photos of Su-25 wreckage and Russian trucks
hauling it away from the crash site. It is likely
these images are tied to a known incident,
though they were published for the first time.
One photo shows a serial number, 06090.
Lastly, one photo emerged from a highly
publicized incident where an Il-76M transport
plane (RF-86868) belonging to the 117th
Military Transport Aviation Regiment was shot
down on January 24, 2024, near Yablonovo
in Russia's Belgorod region. All six crew
members aboard were killed. At the time,
Russia claimed Ukrainian prisoners of war
were on board, but this was never confirmed.
The new photo shows the front section
UKRAINE
Loss of Su-25 pilot: Lt. Col. Igor Gaivoronsky died
on October 2 when his Su-25 crashed.
Mi-28 Helicopter crash: Capt. Artem Pavlov died
on October 26 when a Mi-28 helicopter fell into
the Kerch Strait.
Su-34 crash: Capt. Arman Bigalinov was one of two
crew members who perished in a Su-34 crash on
October 31.
Mi-24 helicopter
downed in 2023:
A photo of the
wreckage from an
Mi-24 shot down
in April 2023 was
released.
INFO Eduard20
December 2024