Near the Ukrainian border in the Belgorod region, approximately 30 kilometers away, an Su-25 attack aircraft of the Russian Ministry of Defense crashed. Vyacheslav Gladkov, the region’s head, was the first official to confirm the incident publicly.
Initial reports stated that the plane, belonging to the Ministry of Defense, went down in the Valuysky urban area. Rescue teams from the emergencies ministry and investigators were dispatched to the site, with authorities saying a thorough examination would determine the cause and that the situation remained under control.
Subsequent statements from RIA Novosti, citing the Russian defense ministry, indicated that the aircraft crashed while returning to its home base after completing a combat mission. They reported that the pilot had died at the scene, a detail later echoed by the Ministry of Defense.
Later updates from emergency services suggested the pilot had ejected and was initially believed to be alive, according to preliminary information. However, reports from TASS indicated the pilot did not survive the ejection attempt.
The Ministry of Defense suggested the preliminary cause of the crash as a technical malfunction. They described the crash site as a remote area with no damage to the ground, while law enforcement sources cited by TASS placed the crash on the outskirts of the village.
Video circulating from the crash scene shows the aircraft’s charred tail section lying in the snow-crusted steppe and the scorched area surrounding the wreckage.
Over the past year, Russia has experienced several air incidents involving military aircraft. In February 2022, two incidents occurred in quick succession: an An-26 transport plane carrying military equipment crashed in the Voronezh region, and a Su-25 fighter aircraft went down somewhere in Russia, with the Ministry of Defense not specifying the location. In the first incident, the crew was lost; in the second, the pilot managed to launch from the wreckage.
On April 8, a MiG-31 interceptor crashed during a training mission in the Leningrad region, with the crew surviving the ejection. Then, on June 17, another Su-25 crashed in the Belgorod region; the pilot escaped injury. A week later, on June 24, an Il-76 transport aircraft belonging to the Ministry of Defense crashed in Ryazan after an engine failure forced an emergency landing that left the aircraft partially destroyed and claimed five lives.
On October 9, a Su-24 bomber crashed in a deserted area of the Rostov region, with the crew managing to survive. The military reported the accident result as a technical malfunction.
The most deadly air incident involving a military aircraft in recent times occurred in Yeysk on October 17, 2022. Moments after takeoff, a Su-34 fighter-bomber collided with a nine-story residential building. The pilots ejected, but a fuel spill ignited a fire that killed 16 civilians and injured 43. An investigation attributed the fire to engine ignition following a bird strike.
On October 23, a multi-role Su-30SM crashed into a one-story home in Irkutsk during a training flight. A fire ensued, leaving nearby houses without power. Both pilots survived, and no injuries were reported on the ground.