Tragedy in Army Aviation
Today, December 18, a tragic event occurred – the crew of the Mi-24 helicopter of the 12th separate brigade of army aviation named after General-Horunzhy Viktor Pavlenko died while performing a combat mission. This was reported by the brigade's press service, referring to information from 'Glavkom'.
Today, a black cloud looms over our aviation family. During the execution of a combat mission, the crew of the Mi-24 helicopter perished. This is an irreparable loss for aviation, for the country, for the families who awaited their loved ones at home.
It is also worth noting that we will witness another tragedy. During the execution of a combat mission on the Su-27 aircraft, senior navigator of the 39th tactical aviation brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Ivanov Yevgeny Vitalievich, died. This incident occurred on December 8, 2025, in the eastern direction.
Other Tragic Incidents
Unfortunately, this is not the first case of tragedy in Ukrainian aviation. In July, a Mirage-2000 fighter in our country crashed due to avionics failure. The pilot survived after ejecting.
It is also worth mentioning the death of a MiG-29 fighter pilot that occurred on the night of August 23. Major Bondar Sergey Viktorovich died during landing.
And unfortunately, on April 12, during the execution of a combat mission on the F-16 aircraft, only 26-year-old pilot Pavel Ivanov perished.
Tragic aviation events constantly remind us of the risks of serving in the air forces, as well as the great dedication and self-sacrifice of pilots who are ready to carry out their duties even under the most difficult circumstances.