Latest news with #YuryButusov
Metro
a day ago
- Politics
- Metro
Moment one of Putin's warplanes crashes after wing falls off during bombing raid
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This is the extraordinary moment a wing fell off a Russian Su-25 during a frontline mission. War footage captured the second the £15 million attack jet crashed after flying in a pair over Ukraine's Donetsk region. The pilot miraculously cheated death by ejecting before his aircraft fell to the ground. His doomed warplane is seen banking sharply before falling out of the sky and crash diving into a field. At first it appeared the Su-25 had been shot down – possibly by 'friendly fire', an unguided missile, from its partner plane, a claim made by the Ukrainian media. The footage shows heat trap flares and possible missiles from the Su-25s. Ukraine's Military media outlet ruled out both friendly fire and an exploding missile on the distressed aircraft. Yet experts on both sides now believe the aircraft's downing near Soledar could be related to Vladimir Putin's use of ageing war planes, with some Russian jets 40 years old or more. While flames and white smoke are seen rising from the aircraft, there is no giant explosion, which would be expected if there was a direct missile hit. The right wing is seen falling from the stricken aircraft – and the pilot's parachute is visible after ejecting. The pilot was reportedly rescued by Russian ground forces while under fire from Ukrainian drones. He was then evacuated from the crash site by a Mi-8 helicopter. 'The pilot is in the hospital with a broken arm,' reported Russian Telegram channel Fighterbomber. 'A commission will investigate what went wrong and determine who is to blame.' The same source said that 'destruction of the wing' was the cause. Ukraine has neither officially claimed to have shot down the plane, nor taunted Russia over another friendly fire incident. The visible 'missiles' may be unignited heat trap flares designed to distract heat-seeking missiles away from the aircraft's engines, according to some sources. 'The third possible reason is a defect in the aircraft's power structure that arose due to prolonged intensive use of the aircraft in combat operations or a manufacturing defect,' said the channel. 'This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the wing broke off at the moment of the turn, when it is subjected to the greatest loads. More Trending 'Another indirect confirmation may be that the operation of Russian attack aircraft, whose average age reaches 40 years, is associated with a significant number of emergency situations.' The theory was backed by Ukrainian war analyst Yury Butusov, who said: 'At first it seems that it was shot down by its own pilot, the pilot of another aircraft. 'However, when viewed in slow motion, one can conclude that the Su-25's wing failed due to excessive overload and exhaustion of the attack aircraft's resources.' The Su-25 is a Soviet-designed close-air support aircraft developed by Sukhoi in the late 1970s. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: British mothers 'have to accept that their sons will have to die for Nato' MORE: Putin's dirty new war tactic revealed in grim photos MORE: Putin unleashes aerial glide bombs in 'most powerful attack of entire war' on Kharkiv
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian troops reportedly attack Sudzha in Kursk Oblast as Ukraine's logistical routes are cut off
Russian and North Korean troops have launched an attack on the Ukrainian-held town of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk Oblast, the Ukrainian battlefield monitoring group DeepState and Yury Butusov, chief editor of the news site reported on March 8. Multiple Russian pro-war Telegram channels claimed on March 8 that Russian troops have launched a large-scale offensive in Kursk Oblast and are storming Sudzha. The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims, and the Ukrainian authorities have not commented on them. Russian forces have recently intensified efforts to break through to Sumy Oblast and cut off logistical routes of the Ukrainian salient in bordering Kursk Oblast. Russian forces have destroyed Ukrainian troops' logistics in Kursk Oblast, and Ukrainian soldiers face the risk of encirclement, a Ukrainian soldier and a medic deployed in the region told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity on March 7. Butusov wrote on Facebook on March 8 that Russian troops had used a gas pipeline to approach Ukrainian positions in Sudzha in Kursk Oblast. He added that the troops are being "liquidated." DeepState confirmed that Russian troops had tried to attack Sudzha through a pipeline but reported that the results of the operation are unknown. According to DeepState, North Korean troops are rapidly advancing near Sudzha, acting as the main offensive force and also bearing the heaviest casualties. 'The situation in the buffer zone in Kursk Oblast continues to intensify and requires immediate decisions from the (Ukrainian) command,'Butusov said. Kyiv has sought to maintain its position in the Russian border region as leverage for possible peace talks. Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024. After six months of fighting in the region, Russian troops have regained control of about 64% of the territory in the region, the Russian military claimed. Read also: Ukraine considers Kursk withdrawal amid fears of encirclement of 10,000 troops, Telegraph reports We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
