The crash resulted in the death of one pilot, while the second pilot managed to survive, though conflicting claims and a lack of official disclosures have left the circumstances surrounding the event unclear.
Mid-Air Collision Over Kursk Region Claims Pilot
A mid-air collision involving two Russian military aircraft resulted in the death of one pilot, while a second crew member managed to survive the incident.
Military correspondent Yuri Kotenok also confirmed via Telegram that two multirole Su-35S fighters collided in the sky over the Kursk region. According to the Telegram channel Voenny Osvedomitel,
one of the pilots died, while the second pilot managed to eject and sustained injuries. The channel Voevoda Veshchats,
run by Aerospace Forces officer Alexei Zemtsov, reported that one of the pilots was killed while the second was successfully evacuated. The Kursk-based publication “Pepel. Kursksimilarly reported the death of one pilot and noted that the second pilot successfully ejected but suffered injuries. Concurrently, the channel
Voevoda Veshchatsindirectly placed blame on Ukraine, writing that Ukrainians would
answer for this,” though no evidence of Ukrainian involvement was provided.
The exact circumstances and reasons behind the mid-air collision remain unknown, as Russian authorities and the Russian Ministry of Defense have not yet established the cause of the incident or issued an official statement. The full consequences of the collision have not been officially disclosed, and Ukrainian forces have not officially claimed any responsibility for the crash.
Capabilities and Operational Role of the Su-35S Fighter Platform
The Su-35S serves as a core multirole fighter jet utilized by the Russian military alongside the Su-30 and Su-34 platforms. Derived from the Soviet-era Su-27, the aircraft was developed as a generation 4+ upgrade to perform both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions. The multirole supramanuverable Su-35S made its first flight in 2008 and is equipped with modern onboard equipment and AL-41F-1S engines featuring a controllable thrust vector. Fitted with an “Irbis” radar system, the aircraft can carry various air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles across 12 suspension hardpoints, including R-37M missiles with a range of approximately 300 kilometers.
The Russian Aerospace Forces received their most recent delivery batch of Su-35S jets on August 27, following previous transfers from the United Aircraft Corporation (OAK) as reported by Rostec. A pilot flying the Su-35S within the Russian Aerospace Forces noted that these aircraft are actively deployed in combat operations, specifically for intercepting aerial targets, covering strike groups and ground objects, and delivering precision strikes against ground and surface targets. We also perform reconnaissance, uncovering enemy positions at a significant depth from the line of combat contact, the pilot stated.
Broader Context of Recent Russian Military Aviation Losses
In July, a Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighter crashed in the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region, with the aircraft falling near the Moskva River and the pilot successfully ejecting after attempting to steer the machine away, according to Mash reports.
In February, Justin Bronk, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), stated that Russian Su-35S fighter jets equipped with long-range R-37M air-to-air missiles pose a serious threat to potential NATO air operations. Meanwhile, on July 21, 2026, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine stated during a Senate hearing that a Ukrainian F-16 scored its first air-to-air victory by shooting down a Russian fighter jet. While Caine did not identify the aircraft or specify the timing and location, the Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi assessed that the downed aircraft was likely the Russian Su-35 lost on July 8, 2026. During that earlier July incident on the eastern front, Ukrainian Air Forces reported shooting down an Su-35, a loss acknowledged by Russian Z-channels including Fighterbomber and Voevoda Veshchats,
with the latter describing the event as an “ambush” where a Patriot system on the ground illuminated the target for Ukrainian aircraft while the pilot survived.
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