On Monday, March 9, 2026, the press service of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Povitryani Syly Zbroynykh Syl Ukrainy, PS ZSU) reported on social media the loss of a Su-27 heavy air-superiority fighter (NATO reporting name: Flanker) during a combat mission. Its pilot, Col. Oleksandr Dovhach, commander of the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade and a Hero of Ukraine, was killed in the crash.
Photo: Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Unfortunately, we have suffered another painful loss for our aviation family and for the entire country.
Today in the afternoon, March 9, 2026, on the eastern front, under conditions of significant enemy air superiority and powerful opposition from hostile air defense systems, Colonel Oleksandr Dovhach –commander of the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade and a Hero of Ukraine – was killed. He once again carried out a combat mission, unfortunately at the cost of his own life…
Oleksandr Dovhach was not just a commander. He was a true leader and a combat pilot. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, the brigade under his command delivered precise and painful strikes against the enemy.
He carried out hundreds of combat sorties, striking enemy command posts, equipment, and communications systems. He repeatedly provided cover for strike and bomber aviation, and destroyed enemy drones and missiles. He fought for the Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, and for Snake Island.
He was always the first to go into battle, taking on the most dangerous missions and inspiring his subordinates to act with courage and determination.
The circumstances are being established.
We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones…
Glory to the Hero!
Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Video: 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade via Facebook
This is the first combat aircraft lost by Ukraine this year. Last year, eight aircraft were lost, including two Su-27s (December 8 – pilot killed; April 27 – pilot ejected), three F-16AMs (June 29 – pilot killed; May 16 – pilot ejected; April 12 – pilot killed), and one each of the Yak-52 (July 18/19 – the two-person crew was killed), Dassault Mirage 2000-5F (July 22 – pilot ejected), and MiG-29 (August 23 – pilot killed).
The previous loss of a Su-27 occurred on May 17, 2024, and today’s loss brings the total to 19 aircraft.
In 1991, Ukraine inherited 74 then-new Su-27s from the Soviet Union. By 2015, only 24 of them remained in active service, but this soon changed. After the seizure of Crimea and parts of Donbas, efforts began to return stored aircraft to service (by 2016, unofficially as many as 57 aircraft were reportedly in service). In 2022, when the full-scale war began, around 32 aircraft were operational. However, these numbers are estimates, as Ukraine does not publish official data, and the Su-27 fleet is supplemented through the overhaul of stored aircraft or by cannibalizing others for spare parts.
A painful loss for our aviation family and for Ukraine.
On March 9, 2026, Colonel Oleksandr Dovhach, commander of the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade and a Hero of Ukraine, was killed in action on the eastern front while carrying out a combat mission.
He flew hundreds of combat… pic.twitter.com/4UD7tE1dsf
— Ukrainian Air Force (@KpsZSU) March 9, 2026