Two Pilots From Russia’s Elite “Russian Knights” Aerobatic Team Killed in Fighter Jet Crash

Two experienced Russian military pilots assigned to the “Russian Knights” aerobatic demonstration team have reportedly been killed in a training flight accident, raising questions about whether their deaths are connected to the loss of two Russian Su-30SM fighter jets earlier this week.

According to Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi on October 24, citing Russian news website amic.ru, the pilots were identified as Colonel Oleg Yerofeyev, a decorated military pilot, and Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Kochetov. Preliminary reports indicate that the accident occurred on October 22, although the exact date and circumstances remain unclear.

Both officers served at Russia’s Aviation Equipment Demonstration Center, which operates the Russian Knights aerobatic team from Kubinka airfield near Moscow.

Yerofeyev was deputy head of the center and had accumulated approximately 3,300 flight hours. Kochetov worked as a flight safety inspector and had logged around 1,500 hours. Both were qualified to operate several Russian fighter aircraft, including the MiG-29, Su-27, Su-30SM, and Su-35S.

The reported deaths may be connected to two separate Su-30SM losses recorded on October 21, when Russian military aviation reportedly lost two fighters in a single day. Both crew members were confirmed dead in one of those incidents.

Militarnyi noted that the October 22 date reported by Russian media could be incorrect, potentially linking the pilots’ deaths to the earlier crashes. However, the possibility of an additional, previously unreported aviation accident has not been ruled out.

The Russian Knights aerobatic team was established on April 5, 1991, as part of Russia’s 237th Guards Aviation Equipment Demonstration Center. Based at Kubinka airfield in the Moscow region, the unit operates advanced fighter aircraft, primarily Su-35S jets, and performs at military ceremonies and international aviation events.

According to Militarnyi, pilots from the team are regularly assigned combat missions, generally flying operational military aircraft rather than the jets reserved for aerobatic demonstrations. However, aircraft belonging directly to the Russian Knights fleet have also been documented performing military missions.

Earlier, on October 15, Ukraine’s Navy reported destroying six Russian Su-34M fighter-bombers in a Neptune missile strike on the Borisoglebsk military airfield in Russia’s Voronezh region.

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