A fighter jet that had been shooting down Russian drones crashed in the Odesa region; the pilot ejected

The State Bureau of Investigations has opened a criminal investigation into the crash of a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet, which occurred on the evening of August 10 in the Berezivsky District of Odesa Oblast.

According to the Air Force, the aircraft was lost while carrying out a combat mission to destroy enemy air targets in the Odesa region.

According to preliminary data, an abnormal situation arose during the launch of an air-to-air missile. The aircraft caught fire, after which the pilot lost control, although he attempted to save the aircraft.

The pilot successfully ejected and was evacuated to a medical facility. According to the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR), his life is not currently in danger.

For its part, the State Bureau of Investigations stated that following the fighter jet’s crash, an SBI investigative team arrived at the scene and worked there throughout the night. Investigators surveyed the area, recovered and documented the aircraft debris, and are interviewing witnesses and military personnel.

The search for the flight data recorder—the “black box”—is currently underway. Its data should help establish the circumstances of the final minutes of the flight and the causes of the aviation incident.

The investigation will also verify compliance with the rules governing flight preparation, flight execution, and aircraft operation.

A criminal case has been opened under Part 2 of Article 416 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—violation of flight rules or pre-flight preparation rules, as well as aircraft operation rules, resulting in a crash.

The causes of the incident are currently being determined. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. The Odesa Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Defense in the Southern Region is overseeing the proceedings.

Earlier, for the first time since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, a Swedish S102B Korpen reconnaissance aircraft flew over the Black Sea. According to the Flightradar portal, the aircraft, with the call sign SVF680, took off from Malmen Air Base in Sweden and began conducting reconnaissance in the Crimea region.

Андрій Колісніченко