Ukrainian media show a recording of the first interrogation of the pilot of the Russian Su-34 bomber (tail number 24), shot down near Chernigov by Ukrainian air defense. The pilot declares that he is Major Krasnoyartsev from military unit 8689. The co-pilot of this aircraft was killed.
Information about this prisoner is contradictory, in a number of publications it is alleged that the major provided incorrect data. In some publications, it is stated that the Su-34 was allegedly shot down by a militia from MANPADS.
The editors of the site “Segodnya.ua” came to the conclusion that this officer of the Russian Aerospace Forces had previously fought in Syria and posed in 2017, along with other pilots, next to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
During interrogation, the captured officer claimed that this was his first flight in the direction of the city, and that he had previously flown only along the border of Ukraine. According to him, before the sortie, they were assured that all civilians had been withdrawn from Chernihiv (this is not true). During the interrogation, his commanders called the prisoner’s mobile phone.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as of March 6, since the day the Russian army invaded Ukraine (02/24/2022), Ukrainian air defense and air forces have shot down 44 aircraft and 48 helicopters of the Russian army.
It should be noted that there is no information about the captured Major Krasnoyartsev in the database of the Occupant website.