During the interrogation of a Russian pilot captured by Ukrainian forces on 18 June, the pilot revealed that he was a mercenary working for the Wagner private military company and that he was being paid a wage of 200,000 roubles (approximately $3,500) a month.
The captured pilot is Andrey Fedorchukov, a major in the Russian Air Force. He admitted to working for the Wagner private military company and that he was being paid 205,000 roubles a month.
“During the interrogation, Fedorchukov said that the target of his attack was a stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Previously, he had conducted bombing operations on Ukrainian cities. Fedorchukov hopes for a prisoner exchange, though he understands that because he is a mercenary he might not be party to any prisoner exchange agreements and might therefore be subject to punishment for his crimes.
It’s interesting to note that Russian aircraft have significant navigation, targeting and cooperative engagement issues, Fedorchukov told Ukrainian officials.
Fedorchukov had with him a Garmin navigator and a smartphone with the Pronebo app installed on it in order to have more precise navigation than that afforded by the navigation devices on board the Russian Air Force aircraft.”
On 18 June, the 72nd Separate Mechanised Brigade (named after the Black Zaporozhians) reported that they used an Igla man-portable air defence system (MANPADS) to shoot down a Russian Su-25 plane, which hit the ground “loud and clear.”
The pilot of the downed Russian Su-25 attack aircraft ejected and has been taken prisoner.
A court in Ukraine has sentenced Russian Air Force officer Aleksei Loboda to 12 years in prison on a charge of violating the laws of war, the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General’s Office said on March 3. The office said Loboda’s bombing of civilian targets in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region in March 2022 had destroyed a broadcasting center that had not been used for any military activities. The Russian pilot was captured after he ejected following his plane’s downing by Ukrainian forces.
During a press conference streamed by Interfax Ukraine, the pilot, who gave his name as Maxim Krishtop, described how he had learned of his orders, which he carried out before being shot down on March 6 and captured by Ukrainian forces.
“In the process of completing the task, I realized that the target was not enemy military facilities, but residential buildings, peaceful people.
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