A camera mounted on the wingtip of a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 Frogfoot air support aircraft recorded the aircraft’s dramatic disappearance after it was reportedly hit by a long-range Russian air-to-air missile. This is not the first time in the Ukrainian conflict that we have seen the destruction of a fighter jet at such close range. However, with the pilot’s death confirmed by Ukrainian authorities, the footage is a stark reminder of the huge risks faced by aircrew in one of the deadliest airspaces in history.
Loss of a Ukrainian Su-25. The aircraft was hit by an R-37 missile; the responsibility probably rests with either a MiG-31BM fighter or a Su-35S, as these are the types that typically patrol with such long-range missiles. The pilot lost his life in action. Blue sky to… pic.twitter.com/lNXZPuzHXS
The footage in question was apparently captured by a GoPro or similar camera mounted under the starboard wing of the Su-25, which flew straight and level when engaged. The first indication that Frogfoot was hit is a flash of lightning and a shower of sparks, as well as the suggestion that the cockpit canopy may have been partially torn off. Then one of its external fuel tanks is seen rupturing. The aircraft begins to rotate through the sky with the fuselage open, evident by the exposed main landing gear. The wing-mounted camera continues to record the plane breaking apart, including the forward fuselage and cockpit, now separated from the fuselage, which is burning brightly. The wing descends towards the ground, the sequence ends with a black column of smoke at close range.
A bright flash is the first sign that the jet has been hit. through X
A shower of sparks is visible in this screenshot, which also suggests that the cockpit canopy was partially torn off by the impact. through X
It’s less than 20 seconds from the first signs of impact to the wing lying on the ground, motionless, and an indication of how quickly the pilot’s fate was sealed. Provided they weren’t killed or incapacitated on initial impact, there was very little time to activate their Zvezda K-36 ejection seat, if that was even an option given the catastrophic damage.
The still retracted main landing gear is visible in this shot. through X
The forward section of the fuselage is collapsing, as seen in the bottom center of this view. through X
The specific Su-25 carried the tactical number “21 Blue”. It was reportedly at the controls of this aircraft that Ukrainian Air Force pilot Stanislav Rykov, of the 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade, was killed during a sortie on 7 February 2024. Rykov was described as one of the more experienced ground attack pilots in the force, with 385 combat sorties to his credit.
Shortly after his death, fellow Ukrainian Air Force pilot Rostyslav Lazarenko posted on Facebook. “My heart was ripped out yesterday.” He added that Rykov “was the best pilot and commander I knew.”
Ukrainian Air Force pilot Stanislav Rykov in his plane. Ukrainian Air Force
The exact location of Rykov’s loss was not reported by the Ukrainian side, although a Russian Defense Ministry briefing said a Ukrainian Su-25 was destroyed on the same date, near the settlement of Novotroitske in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
It is not clear why the video has only now started circulating publicly.
Several unconfirmed reports suggest that the weapon responsible for downing the Su-25 was an R-37M, a long-range air-to-air missile with the Western code name AA-13 Axehead. The missile is mainly used by Su-35S Flanker multirole fighters and MiG-31BM Foxhound interceptors.
The R-37M is a missile we have reviewed in detail in the past.
An Su-35S fires an R-37M missile. Russian Ministry of Defense screenshot Russian Ministry of Defense
With a range of 124 miles, it flies to the target on a high trajectory controlled by an inertial navigation system with radio mid-course correction and uses an active radar seeker for its terminal attack. It has been a key threat to the Ukrainian Air Force since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Talking to TWZ before his death in a flight accident in 2023, Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot Andrii “Juice” Pilshchykov said that the R-37M, usually fired from Russian airspace, “limits our capabilities to carry out our missions. Of course, if you maneuver, we’re not able to provide an air strike or anything, so the game is very, very, very risky. you’re not aware of a missile launch, you’re dead.”
Once again, we don’t know for sure that an R-37M was involved in this incident, but it’s certainly a strong possibility. On the other hand, there is no shortage of other Russian air-to-air missiles and ground-based air defense systems that pose a very serious danger to Ukrainian tactical aviation.
The Su-25 is particularly vulnerable due to the high-risk envelope in which it operates and its performance. This is reflected in the documented loss of 22 examples in Ukrainian hands. This figure is almost certainly higher, as it only includes losses that can be visually confirmed.
Shortly after the start of the conflict, Ukrainian Su-25s adopted loft tactics to add extra range to their unguided missiles. By the summer of 2024, the stockpile of unguided rockets was exhausted, but the addition of the French-made Hammer rocket-assisted bomb provided a much longer range and a much more powerful weapon, specially adapted for low-altitude launch profiles.
A Ukrainian Su-25 launches a precision-guided munition with a French-supplied Hammer missile. Ukrainian Air Force screenshot
Since the full-scale invasion began, the Su-25 has been heavily used by both sides. Confirmed Russian Su-25 losses stand at 41 – the highest for any fixed-wing tactical type.
People look at the tail section of a Russian Su-25SM near the military museum in Kiev. The aircraft was shot down by the Ukrainian military on March 2, 2022, in the Kyiv region. Photo by Sergei Chuzavkov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images SOPA images
At least one Russian Su-25 loss was also filmed from the plane, in this case in dramatic footage of the pilot, who survived. You can see the video below and read more about it here.
While videos like these might look like something out of a combat flight simulator, they’re all too real. This is the latest release reflecting the brutal realities of life – and death – for tactical aviation pilots over and around Ukraine’s frontline.
