Truck mishap grounds Russian Su‑25SM3 costs $4M in Crimea
According to Ukrainian media citing reports from Russia, unprecedented scenes took place at the Russian airport in Simferopol, Crimea. A Russian man driving a truck rammed a Su-25SM3 attack aircraft, "completely disabling it." The damages were estimated at several million dollars.
The incident was first reported by the Russian channel WCzK-OGPU on Telegram, which has sources close to security services. NEXTA, among others, shared information about the event at the airport in Simferopol on Ukrainian social media.
Accident at the airport in Simferopol
According to the disclosed information, the Russian truck driver did not exercise proper caution, exceeded the safe speed at which he should have been moving around the airport, and collided with the attack aircraft, which was being towed by another truck. The aircraft was specified as a Su-25SM3, which was "completely disabled."
4 million dollars in damages
As Igor Sushko, an American activist of Ukrainian descent, adds, the entire incident was supposedly caused by Aleksandr Jerlich, a Russian conscript who did not even have a driver's license.
The damages were initially estimated at $4 million CAD. The unfortunate driver was supposed to be fined and sentenced to one year of imprisonment.
According to WCzK-OGPU, the loss of each Su-25SM3 is significant because not many reserve planes are stationed in Simferopol. The accident, which should not have happened, limits the capabilities of the Russian units stationed there.
The Su-25SM3, developed by United Aircraft Corporation, is the latest and most advanced upgrade of the Su-25, which appears much more frequently over Ukraine. The Su-25SM3 is also an attack aircraft with several significant enhancements compared to the Su-25. These include modernized targeting and navigation systems, the SOLT-25 optoelectronic station, and the Vitebsk-25 active defence system. The Su-25SM3 is also adapted to carry newer types of armament and operate at altitudes exceeding 10,000 metres.
