Two Ukrainian military pilots killed in Su-24M crash in Khmelnytskyi region
Babenko was originally from Bohodukhiv in the Kharkiv region. He served as a navigator in the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force and held the rank of senior lieutenant.
He studied at Lyceum No. 3 in Bohodukhiv and later entered a military school. He then graduated from the Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv National Air Force University.
Local authorities said he had dreamed of serving in Ukraine's armed forces since childhood.
Officials also said Babenko was an only child.
The city council expressed condolences to the family, friends, and comrades of the fallen pilot.
The second crew member killed was 55-year-old Bohdan Zahorulko, the Ukrainian Professional Pilots' Union reported.
According to the report, he was a test pilot and was known for performing aerobatic maneuvers, including the "barrel roll" on an An-32RE military transport aircraft.
The State Bureau of Investigation said Zahorulko was mobilized on February 24, 2022, among the first volunteers.
Investigators are currently examining the circumstances of the crash. The preliminary legal classification is a flight safety violation resulting in a fatal crash (Part 2 of Article 416 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The crash of the Su-24M bomber happened on June 16 at around 7 p.m. near a settlement in the Khmelnytskyi region. Both crew members were killed. The aircraft was performing a mission under a combat order. The "black box" has been recovered for analysis, along with flight and medical records and other documentation related to the mission.
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19 of June 2026
