A video circulating on social media shows a Russian pilot capturing the moment his combat jet crashes to earth after he ejected. The footage, filmed by a pilot with the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), was shared on Telegram by pro-Russian military blogger Kirill Fyodorov, who runs the blog War, History and Guns.
Downed Russian Pilot Records Crash After Patriot Strike https://t.co/gvgBt71SJS
— 🇺🇦🐱 https://mas.corq.co/@rogue_corq 🏳️🌈🇺🇦 (@rogue_corq) August 5, 2024
Russia’s Air Force has experienced significant casualties since President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Fyodorov did not specify the type of aircraft or the location and date of the incident but confirmed that the pilot survived.
Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs, also shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), noting that the calm behavior of the pilot suggested the plane was shot down deep in Russian territory. Gerashchenko speculated that the aircraft could be a Su-30/Su-35 fighter or a Su-34 bomber.
Throughout the conflict, Ukrainian forces have downed numerous Russian jets. General Christopher Cavoli, head of the United States European Command, informed U.S. lawmakers in April that Russia had lost about 10 percent of its aircraft fleet in the war. In February, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry reported that its military had downed six Russian fighter jets in just three days.
The #Russian pilot was shot down, but managed to eject, after which he filmed the crash of his plane and himself on a smartphone. Judging by the fact that the ejection occurred above the clouds and at a considerable altitude, this is either the pilot of a Su-30/Su-35 fighter or a pic.twitter.com/2RGG15r3PU
— Olena_Wave🇺🇦 (@OlenaWave) August 5, 2024
The Dutch open-source intelligence defense analysis website Oryx has visually confirmed the destruction of 109 Russian aircraft and damage to 12 since the war’s onset. Oryx also reported the destruction of 93 Ukrainian aircraft, with three damaged and one captured.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces recently stated that Moscow has lost 365 aircraft since the invasion began. They have often played propaganda games so there is no way to verify this number.
Key Points:
i. A Russian pilot captured his combat jet’s crash on video after ejecting, which was shared by pro-Russian military blogger Kirill Fyodorov on Telegram.
ii. The incident’s specifics, including the aircraft type, location, and date, were not disclosed, but the pilot survived.
iii. Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs, speculated the aircraft could be a Su-30/Su-35 fighter or a Su-34 bomber, and noted the pilot’s calm behavior suggested a deep Russian territory incident.
iv. Ukrainian forces have downed numerous Russian jets since the invasion began in February 2022, with reports indicating significant losses for Russia’s Air Force.
v. The Dutch open-source intelligence website Oryx confirmed the destruction of 109 Russian and 93 Ukrainian aircraft, while the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported Moscow’s loss of 365 aircraft since the invasion began.
James Kravitz – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News