The Russian Air Force just lost dozens of top gun pilots in one shot. The Israeli’s were sick and tired of Russian pilots killing their covert invasive mercenaries on the ground in Syria, so this move seems to cover it for now.
Before this crash the number of servicemen killed in Russia’s war in Syria stood at 42. Another 92 were killed in a Tu-154 crash of the Russian defense ministry in December 2016 over Black Sea en route to Russia’s Latakia airbase.
Fully 27 of the men killed were officers including a mayor general. So many of the passengers being officers probably indicates they were pilots, perhaps coming in on a rotation.
If that is so and Russia just lost 20+ experienced pilots, this would represent a major blow for the Russian air force, far in excess of anything it has sustained in Syria so far.
The Russian press has been able to acquire a partial list of the names and ranks of the servicemen lost:
- Major Smirnov S. G.
- Senior Lieutenant D. Safronov
- Senior Lieutenant M. Panov
- Senior lieutenant Altunin KN
- Sergeant Osipkin A.V.
- Senior sergeant Epifanov
- Major General Yeremeyev V.G.
- Captain 1st Rank Sachuk AM
- Captain 1st rank Moiseev M.A.
- Colonel Fedun S.V.
- Major A. Morozov
- Senior Sergeant Lushkov S.V.
- Ensign M. Grigoriev
- Captain Gorban K.A.
- Captain Gaidarkhanov E. S.
- Junior sergeant Belov A.I.
- Senior sergeant Bogatyrev ZM
- Major M. Mounev
- Captain Pylenok AA
- Captain Sheyntsivt S.V.
- Major Chagin EV
- Senior Ensign Grabovsky S.V.
- Captain Trufanov A.V.
- Major Kukushkin D.I.
- Senior lieutenant A. Shevchenko
- Corporal Khoromoytsev IK
- Major V. Mikryukov
- Captain Rasputin NB
- Sergeant Serezhenkov EA
- Junior sergeant Chapdarov B.R.
- Senior Lieutenant Levchuk GS
No doubt the situation in Syria is better now, but the loss of a complete A-team at once, together with the training, flying hours and experience they had accumulated would be enough to shake any air force in the world, including Russia’s.
It is safe to say it is more painful than the loss of all 11 air frames, 6 fixed-wing and 5 helicopters, the air force has sustained so far.
Fully 27 of the 39 servicemen killed in yesterday’s crash were officers, indicating it was probably a flight bringing in pilots on rotation.
Not much happens by coincident or accident in this war (and as we talk US is reportedly talking about attacking Damascus again, hoping to take Russia off guard after the incident).
The Anglo-Zionist US war against Russia goes on and all details of this incident may not become available to us, but in light of US’s attack by cutthroat proxies on Hmeimim which saw several fighter jets damaged, the height tech swarm attack (performed in the middle of the night) and the subsequent drone attack after that and the downed SU25.
It’s safe to say that this also undoubtedly has Pentagram fingerprints all over and it might also come as a dangerously defiant part of US/Ziocon damage control after Putin’s game changing announcement that grabbed the head lines on march 1.
The USA has lost the war in this Syrian theater, it is a wounded animal.
That is a fact and stand on top of that, as it is, without SDF mercenary feet on the ground to protect their forces in occupied eastern Syria (most of them decided to change flag and help YPG out in Afrin which suggest that US lost control of the force, or parts of it), which leaves the 4.000 US landlocked sitting ducks even more vulnerable there.
Russia-Insider.com / AA Magnum Analyst News 2018.
