A tragic incident in the skies over the Khmelnytskyi region claimed the lives of the crew of a Ukrainian Su-24M frontline bomber. The fatal crash was officially confirmed by representatives of the Ukrainian Air Force. According to the information released, the aircraft went down at approximately 7:00 p.m. on June 16. The aircraft belonged to the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade named after Petro Franko, a unit of the Ukrainian Air Force.
The Air Force command stated that the navigator and pilot were operating in the airspace over the Khmelnytskyi region while carrying out an assigned flight mission. Both airmen were killed in the crash. The military expressed its condolences to the families and loved ones of Major Bohdan Hryhorovych Zahorulko and Senior Lieutenant Bohdan Oleksandrovych Babenko, noting that the officers served in the defense of their country until their final moments.
Emergency services and law enforcement personnel are currently working at the crash site. Preliminary information indicates that there were no injuries or fatalities among local residents. The exact causes and circumstances of the accident are still under investigation by the relevant authorities and technical specialists.
The incident follows an earlier loss involving an F-16 fighter aircraft. During a nighttime enemy attack on June 29, 2025, Ukraine lost an aircraft of this type, and its pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, was killed in action. According to Brigadier General Oleh Zakharchuk, Deputy Commander of the West Air Command, the tragedy was caused by exceptionally challenging air combat conditions.
Zakharchuk noted that, in order to repel that large-scale attack, the command had to deploy all available air defense assets, including helicopters, mobile air defense fire groups, surface-to-air missile units, and F-16 fighter aircraft. Before the crash, pilot Maksym Ustymenko demonstrated a high level of effectiveness, reportedly destroying seven enemy Shahed-type attack drones during the operation.
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Source: Telegram
