Killed in Action: Su-27 Navigator Killed During Combat Mission

Lieutenant Colonel Yevhen Ivanov, a navigator of a Su-27 fighter jet, was killed in action during a combat mission.

This was reported by the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

On December 8, at noon, a plane of the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade, whose navigator was Lieutenant Colonel Yevhen Ivanov, crashed under unknown circumstances.

Ukrainian military officials stated that the aircraft was performing a combat mission in the east. The circumstances of the crash and the death of the navigator are currently under investigation.

According to the brigade, Yevhen Ivanov was an experienced officer of the brigade. He began his service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 1995, devoting almost three decades to the sky and to military aviation.

“Originally from Kharkiv, he dreamed of becoming a pilot since childhood and went from a young cadet of the Kharkiv National University of Civil Aviation to a real ace,” the agency said.

The lieutenant colonel carried out more than 200 combat missions on the Su-27 fighter jet, destroying the enemy on various fronts, shooting down enemy air targets, striking enemy ground targets, and participating in dozens of complex air operations.

For his courage and heroism, Yevhen Ivanov was awarded the Order “For Courage” of the II and III degrees, the Presidential decoration “For Defense of Ukraine”, and the Iron Cross medal.

“Lieutenant Colonel Ivanov went on his last flight the way he had done all his life – calmly, confidently and to the end, faithfully fulfilling his duty. He died remaining true to his oath and the cause he served with honor,” representatives of the brigade emphasized.

Aircraft of the 39th Brigade are actively used to strike Russian air defense systems with anti-radar missiles, as well as to strike with high-precision bombs such as JDAM, AASM and GBU-39.

In addition, they are involved in air defense during Russian missile and drone attacks in the depths of Ukraine and to cover other aircraft.

This is the second loss of the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade in 2025. In September, Ukrainian pilot Oleksandr Borovyk was killed while performing a combat mission in Zaporizhzhia. In April, another fighter jet crashed while repelling an air attack by enemy strike UAVs, but the pilot managed to successfully eject.