Retired Major General Kanamat Botashev of the Russian Air Force has been killed in Ukraine, Report informs, citing the BBC.
Three servicemen who once served under Botashev have confirmed his death.
According to the BBC, he is the highest-ranking pilot that Russia has lost in Ukraine.
Before retiring, Botashev was the commander of the aviation regiment. The participation of such a high-ranking officer in air battles shows the complex tasks Moscow has set for military pilots, as well as the lack of highly qualified specialists.
On May 22, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced the shooting down of a Su-25 over the Luhansk region. It was reported that the pilot failed to catapult.