Su-25 attack aircraft crashes in Georgia
3 July, 2024 Georgian Su-25 attack aircraft on a test flight. Photo credits: georgiandefensejournal.org A Su-25 attack aircraft crashed in Georgia near a military base in the village of Disveli.
The aircraft had successfully passed a technical inspection beforehand. The Georgian Defense Ministry reported that the pilot was killed in a crash. His body has already been found and taken to the morgue.
The tragic incident occurred during a planned military exercise with an aviation component. According to the Ministry of Defense, Kakhaber Zurabashvili, a pilot of the Defense Forces, was killed. Investigative actions of the relevant services continued all night long at the crash site of the Su-25 aircraft over an area of several hectares.
The crash site of the Georgian Su-25 aircraft. July 03, 2024, Georgia. Frame from the video palitravideo.ge
"We have already identified parts of the plane and found the black box.
The pilot's body was taken to the morgue," the Defense Ministry said. In connection with the incident, a case has been opened over violation of safety rules during the flight of a military aircraft. According to the preliminary investigation, the aircraft was fully inspected before the flight in accordance with the technical documentation's requirements.
"Pre-flight training was also carried out, and all procedures stipulated by the regulations were followed," the Defense Ministry said. In 2020, Georgia started modernizing its Su-25 attack aircraft. The agreement covered the modernization and overhaul of the aircraft.
Su-25UB of the Georgian Air Force.
Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Georgia
Modernization of the Georgian Air Force is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Defense. In this regard, the Ministry is actively restoring and modernizing Su-25 attack aircraft, Mi-24, and UH-1 helicopters. In 2021, four modernized Su-25 attack aircraft were successfully tested in Georgia.
As of 2021, the country had 13 Su-25 attack aircraft, including the Su-25KM and Su-25UB versions.