Ukraine’s 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade announced on Thursday that the pilot of a Su-27 (NATO: Flanker) fighter aircraft, Major Oleksandr Borovyk, has been killed in action during combat operations near Zaporizhzhia.
According to the 39th’s statement on Facebook, Borovyk was performing a combat mission in a Su-27 aircraft on the Zaporizhzhia front when his fighter jet went down at about 13:30 on Thursday afternoon – for reasons that are still being clarified.
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“We express our sincere condolences to Oleksandr’s family and friends,” the statement reads. “Eternal memory to the Hero!”
The fighter pilot was 30 years old.
His death marks Ukraine’s second loss of a Su-27 this year. On April 28, a jet was downed as it repelled an attack by Russian strike drones – though the pilot of that aircraft was able to eject safely before the crash and survived with minimal injuries.
As in this case, the precise reasons for that crash were unknown. A special Ukrainian Air Force (UAF) commission was set up to investigate the reasons, but their findings have not yet been released.
The Zaporizhzhia region has endured heavy Russian drone attacks in recent weeks. On Tuesday, regional authorities said that Russia had carried out 474 individual attacks on 14 settlements in just 24 hours.
Ukraine’s Su-27s are a crucial part of its fleet of fighter jets, known for their heavy armament and exceptional maneuverability. According to Forbes, the exact number that remain in active service is unknown.
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