PUTIN’S top war boss was one of six top Russian officers killed when an ageing military plane smashed into a cliff this week, in another blow to the desperate despot.
Lieutenant General Alexander Otroshchenko, 64, was a key commander in the Russian Air Force before .
General Alexander Otroshchenko, 64, was killed in an An-26 crash in occupied CrimeaCredit: East2West
He was one of at least 29 people who died when the ageing military plane smashed into a cliffCredit: East2West
Otroshchenko was killed in Crimea after participating in its annexation in 2014Credit: East2West
His death was confirmed when a source told Russia: “Yes, he died.”
At least 23 others were also killed when the £3million An-26 plane crashed in Crimea on Wednesday.
Otroshchenko commanded Putin’s Northern Fleet’s mixed aviation corps.
One of Mad Vlad’s top war , he had previously participated in Russian operations in .
Otroshchenko was also involved in the annexation of Crimea in 2014, where he met his end this week.
He is the 15th Russian general to be killed in Putin’s war against Ukraine as the ageing tyrant staggers on.
Unofficial reports indicated the crash site was in Belbek Valley – close to a key military airport near Sevastopol.
The Belbek airport is frequently targeted by the Ukrainian armed forces.
Rescuers reached the crash site after the plane vanished from flight tracking systems and found the wreckage at the foot of a cliff face.
Officials said there were “no signs of a destructive impact on board” pointing to the crash being down to human error or a malfunction on board.
They pointed to a likely “technical malfunction”, but Ukrainian sources claimed it could have been a “friendly fire” downing.
Retired Major General Sergei Lipovoy, an aviation expert, said: “The fact that [the An-26] crashed into a cliff suggests there were problems on board, the plane began to lose altitude, and, unfortunately, collided with a ground obstacle
“But it’s surprising how this could have happened.
Unofficial reports indicated the crash site was in Belbek Valley – close to a key military airport near SevastopolCredit: East2West
“After all, there are no mountains in Crimea so high that an airplane couldn’t overcome them even flying on one engine.”
A second Putin warplane – a £30 million Su-34 fighter-bomber – was lost in a separate incident as it engaged Ukrainian this week, reports said.
The Su-34 had two people inside at the time of the crash over an unknown location with the pilot being killed.
There was no immediate update on the fate of the navigator, according to military sources inside .
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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