The name of the alleged pilot of the Russian Su-35 fighter jet that had been shot down as a result of friendly fire in the Zaporizhzhia region has been posted online.

Militarnyi reports about this.

On October 5, a statement was posted online about the burial of Russian pilot and head of the Pilot Training Center, 38-year-old Major Alexey Belichenko.

The report states that he died under unknown circumstances on September 29, the day a Russian fighter jet was shot down in the sky over the occupied Zaporizhzhia region.

A link to a 2012 news story attached to the recording indicates that Belychenko was piloting a Su-27SM fighter jet at the time.

However, by the time of the Russian invasion, these aircraft had been largely withdrawn from use by the Russian Aerospace Forces and replaced by more advanced Su-30 and Su-35.

As previously reported, on the night of September 28-29, a Russian Su-35 fighter crashed near the village of Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region. The pilot died on the spot.

According to preliminary information, the invaders shot down their own plane with an anti-aircraft missile from the S-300 air defense system.

The aircraft was probably flying a combat mission near the front lines. It is worth noting that Russian fighter jets and frontline bombers are now very frequently using guided bombs.

In general, this is not the first time the Russian aircraft has been hit by friendly fire. The likely reason for this phenomenon may be the unsuitability of friend-or-foe recognition systems on aircraft and anti-aircraft systems, as well as the poor qualifications of air defense system operators.