Russian Su-25 Frogfoot Filmed Crashing Into The Sea Of Azov

Oliver Parken
·3 min read
226
Sukhoi Su-25 in flight
Sukhoi Su-25 in flight

Details remain limited at this time, but a Russian Su-25 Frogfoot close air support jet crashed into the Sea of Azov near Yeysk earlier today. The Russian city of Yeysk is a coastal town in the Krasnodar region, situated directly across the Sea of Azov from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Although the pilot was able to eject, they subsequently died after the incident, as per a local official.

Citing a statement issued on the Telegram channel of the Krasnodar region’s operational headquarters, the RIA Novosti news agency reported that the Su-25 in question crashed near the shoreline during a training flight. Onlookers captured video of the aircraft flying low over the sea before diving into the water, which can be seen below.

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Following a search and rescue operation for the pilot, the individual was retrieved from the sea and quickly transported to hospital, the TASS news agency subsequently reported.

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It's been suggested the Su-25 pilot was found in a critical condition, having broken their legs on impact with the sea and having almost drowned because of becoming tangled in their parachute lines.

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Roman Bublik, the head of the Yeysk district, later confirmed via Telegram that the pilot died as a result of the incident, although when precisely this occurred remains unclear. "On behalf of the residents of the Yeisk District, I express my condolences to the relatives of the Su-25 attack aircraft [pilot] that died," he wrote.

TASS further reports that the preliminary cause of the crash was due to engine failure. It is unclear at present what exactly caused the turbojets on the twin-engine aircraft to both fail.

Which unit the Su-25 belonged also remains unclear at present, although it’s possible that it was flying from the naval aviation base at Yeysk. The base has played an important role hosting deployed aircraft during the war in Ukraine, and has even been expanded for this purpose. It has also been associated with aircraft involved in major mishaps since the all-out invasion begun, including a horrific crash of an Su-34 into an apartment building in the city.

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First introduced in the early 1980s, Sukhoi Su-25s have played a prominent role in the fighting during the war on both sides. As we’ve highlighted previously, many Su-25s have been lost during the conflict, due in no small part to the high-risk envelope they fly in. The quality of Russian aviators put into Su-25 cockpits has also been questioned. According to the Oryx open source intelligence group, a total of 30 Russian Su-25s have been visually confirmed as lost – including the Su-25 that crashed today – since the country’s all-out invasion of Ukraine began last February.

Russian Su-25s have had their share of prominent incidents in the recent past. Back in September 2022, an Su-25 ended up crashing moments after taking off from Millerovo air base in Rostov Oblast. As we highlighted at the time, engine failure may well have played a part in that incident. Russian air power remains very much under pressure due to the ongoing war, which may well be contributing to non-combatant losses such as these.

We will update this story as more information becomes available.

Contact the author: oliver@thewarzone.com