In the Bryansk region, almost simultaneously, two aircraft crashed at once – a Mi-8 helicopter and a Su-34 fighter. Regional Telegram channels report that the Mi-8 fell over the city of Klintsy, and the Su-34, presumably, near the city of Starodub.
Pro-Kremlin news agencies, citing emergency services , report that the preliminary cause of the Mi-8 crash was an engine fire. It is also reported that there were two pilots in the helicopter, both died. TASS, citing the head of the city administration Klintsov , writes that "there is no destruction on the ground from a helicopter that crashed near Klintsy in the Bryansk region." It is noteworthy that all these conclusions, including the cause of the crash, were made a few minutes after the first reports of the crash appeared in the media. In addition, Baza publishes other information regarding the victims: in the Solodovka area, a 51-year-old woman was hit by the wreckage of a fallen helicopter.
The crew of the downed Su-34 also died, according to the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Mash. The pilot and navigator were unable to eject.
A number of Z-channels note that the blade of the downed Mi-8 is riddled with large similar striking elements, "characteristic of the warhead of anti-aircraft missiles." The authors of these channels put forward three versions of the downing of the Mi-8 and Su-34:
- they were shot down from the Chernihiv region by Western medium-range air-to-air missiles from Ukrainian Air Force fighters;
- they were also shot down from Ukraine, but with the help of air defense;
- the aircraft were shot down by a sabotage and reconnaissance group using a portable anti-aircraft missile system.
The latest version can be called official to some extent. Pro-Russian Telegram channels claim that the “Interception” plan has been introduced in the Klintsovsky district to search for “saboteurs” potentially involved in the crash. "Caution, the news" denies this information.
The Oryx OSINT project has been counting Russian aviation losses since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the latest data, Russia lost 396 aircraft, of which 272 were destroyed, 17 were damaged. Thus, together with the Mi-8 and Su-34, Russia lost 398 aircraft. Less than a day has passed since the last such incident. On May 12, a Russian Mi-28 military helicopter crashed in the annexed Crimea, killing both pilots.
