Air disaster in Khmelnytskyi Oblast: Su-24 fighter jet crashed during an operational flight
[86614] Air disaster in Khmelnytskyi Oblast: Su-24 fighter jet crashed during an operational flight
The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that a Su-24 bomber crashed in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast during a mission, and two crew members were killed in the incident.
Air disaster in Khmelnytskyi Oblast: Su-24 fighter jet crashed during an operational flight
On June 16, 2026, a military aircraft crash was reported in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast of Ukraine. The event, which began with unverified reports of explosions and aircraft sounds on local Telegram channels such as Times of Ukraine and Україна Online, ultimately turned out to be a military tragedy.
While initial reports from sources such as ЦАПЛІЄНКО_UKRAINE FIGHTS and Київ Головне initially pointed to a MiG-29 crash, the Command of the Ukrainian Air Force later confirmed that it was a Su-24M bomber belonging to the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade. According to 24 Канал, the victims are Major Bogdan Zagarulko and Senior Lieutenant Bogdan Babenko, who were killed while performing an operational mission.
Officials stated that there were no casualties among the civilian population on the ground, and that rescue and law enforcement teams are operating at the scene to investigate the circumstances of the crash. The channels covering the event, including Реальна Війна, maintained a consistently pro-Ukrainian reporting tone, emphasizing the need for official confirmation from the Air Force before publishing pilot details.
Concurrently with this event, channels such as ТСН and Байрактар reported on a completely separate aviation incident: a SriLankan Airlines plane struck by lightning on its way from Colombo to Sydney. The aircraft, carrying 207 passengers, was forced to make an emergency landing after part of the left engine was damaged in the air, but the incident ended without casualties.