General Oleksandr Otroshchenko died in the crash of an An-26 military transport aircraft in occupied Crimea, the BBC reports, citing two sources.
According to the outlet, Otroshchenko is the 14th Russian general to die since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Career highlights: commanding corps responsible for strategic air operations
Previously, Otroshchenko commanded the naval aviation of the Black Sea Fleet, and later held the same role in the Northern Fleet, where he commanded the 45th Air Force and Air Defense Army.
Since 2024, he has served as commander of the Northern Fleet’s mixed aviation corps.
Confirmation of death: 6 staff officers on board An-26
The death has also been confirmed by Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Strategic Defense under the National Security and Defense Council.
“Considering that Otroshchenko was an active aviation corps commander, he was accompanied by six staff officers from the fleet headquarters,” Kovalenko noted.
He added that "it will be interesting to learn the rank and responsibilities of these officers."
An-26 crash details: 29 dead, possible “friendly fire”
On 31 March, a military transport An-26 crashed near the village of Kuybysheve in the Bakhchisaray district. All 29 people on board were killed, including six crew members.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the crash was caused by a technical malfunction, and there is a version that the plane struck a cliff.
At the same time, several sources suggest that a “friendly fire” incident by the occupying forces’ air defense units could have occurred.
Earlier, Ukrainian forces struck a launcher belonging to the Bastion coastal missile system in the Russian-occupied village of Aktachi in Crimea.
The Bastion system fires P-800 Onyx supersonic anti-ship missiles — the same weapons Russia has used repeatedly in aerial attacks against Ukrainian territory. The Bastion system is highly mobile: after a march, it takes about five minutes to deploy from march to combat state and the same time to pack up.
