2 Ukrainian Pilots Killed as Su-24M Bomber Crashes During Mission in Khmelnytskyi

The Ukrainian Air Force Su-24M frontline bomber crashed in the Khmelnytskyi region on Tuesday evening, killing both crew members.

The incident occurred at around 7 p.m. local time, according to an official statement published by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram.

The Air Force identified the victims as the pilot, Major Bohdan Zaharulko, and the navigator, Senior Lieutenant Bohdan Babenko – both members of the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade named after Petro Franko. The two were carrying out a combat mission in the Khmelnytskyi region at the time of the crash.

“They defended our country until their last breath,” the Air Force wrote, expressing their sincere condolences to the victims’ families.

Rescuers and law enforcement officers were dispatched to the crash site. According to preliminary information, no civilians were injured as a result of the incident. The Air Force said the causes and circumstances of the crash remain under investigation.

According to RBC Ukraine, initial reports on Ukrainian Telegram channels had suggested the downed aircraft may have been a MiG-29, before the Air Force issued its official confirmation identifying the aircraft as a Su-24M.

Unconfirmed reports say the plane came down near Shepetivka in the Khmelnytskyi region.

Quick guide to the Su-24 fencer bomber

The Su-24M that crashed on Tuesday is a variant of the Soviet-era Sukhoi Su-24 “Fencer” – an all-weather, twin-engine supersonic bomber developed in the 1960s, recognizable by its variable-sweep wing design.

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Ukraine inherited between 100 and 200 Su-24 airframes from the Soviet Union, though the number of operational aircraft has steadily declined over the years due to combat losses and parts shortages.

The 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade, to which the crashed aircraft belonged, is based out of Starokostiantyniv Air Base in western Ukraine.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine has deployed its Su-24 in a number of significant strikes, including attacks on Russian Black Sea Fleet assets in Sevastopol.