2014 Ukrainian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 shootdown

Aircraft shootdown in Ukraine yes April 2026 2014 Ukrainian Air Force Il-76 shootdown Ukrainian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76MD (76777).jpeg 1.1 76777, the Il-76 involved, photographed a month before the incident Shootdown 2014 06 14 y Shot down with shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles by Russian separatist forces Near Luhansk International Airport, Luhansk, Ukraine type:event_region:UP14 dms inline,title Ilyushin Il-76MD Ukraine 76777 Melitopol Air Base, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine Luhansk International Airport, Ukraine 49 40 9 49 0 On 14 June 2014, an Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft of the 25th Transport Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down by forces of the Russia-backed separatists from Luhansk People's Republic while on approach to land at Luhansk International Airport, Ukraine, during the initial phase of the war in Donbas. The aircraft was carrying troops and equipment from an undisclosed location. All 49 people on board were killed. Attack thumb|left|A memorial to the paratroopers of the 25th Airborne Brigade who died in the shootdown, Kryvyi Rih The aircraft was carrying military equipment and 40 troops, as well as a crew of nine. It was coming in to land at Luhansk International Airport when it came under anti-aircraft fire. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, a heavy machine gun had been used to fire upon the aircraft.http://news.sky.com/story/1282045/ukrainian-aircraft-shot-down-by-separatists Ukrainian Aircraft 'Shot Down By Separatists' Sky News 14 June 2014 14 June 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140614064214/http://news.sky.com/story/1282045/ukrainian-aircraft-shot-down-by-separatists live According to the Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office, the aircraft was brought down by man-portable air-defense system equipment.http://en.itar-tass.com/world/736046 Ukrainian authorities confirm 49 dead as plane shot down in Lugansk. Information Telegraph Agency of Russia 14 June 2014 14 July 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140714194250/http://en.itar-tass.com/world/736046 live It subsequently crashed at 00:51 local time (21:51 on 13 June, UTC) near the village of Krasne;Goodhind William 2023 Contested Ground, Report 6: Site of Ukrainian Air Force Il-76 shootdown, Krasne, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine, 30 June 2014 https://rgdoi.net/10.13140/RG.2.2.18910.20807/1 en 10.13140/RG.2.2.18910.20807/1 26 August 2023 14 June 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240614065552/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373420334_Contested_Ground_Report_6_Site_of_Ukrainian_Air_Force_Il-76_shootdown_Krasne_Luhansk_Oblast_Ukraine_30_June_2014?channel=doi&linkId=64ea1f6c0453074fbdb4506b&showFulltext=true live all 49 people on board died.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-plane-idUSKBN0EP08420140614 Ukraine rebels shoot down military plane, spokesman says 49 dead Reuters 14 June 2014 14 June 2014 3 November 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201103134617/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-plane-idUSKBN0EP08420140614 live The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence blamed the pro-Russian separatists for the loss of the aircraft and troops. The aircraft was reported to have been carrying 40 paratroopers of the 25th Separate Dnipropetrovsk Airborne Brigade in addition to its crew.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10899657/Ukraine-crisis-rebels-shoot-down-military-plane-carrying-49.html https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171019222924/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10899657/Ukraine-rebels-shoot-down-plane-carrying-49.html dead 19 October 2017 Ukraine crisis: rebels shoot down military plane carrying 49 The Daily Telegraph Josie Ensor 14 June 2014 A military analyst based in Kyiv reported that two empty launch tubes for Igla surface-to-air missiles (SAM) had been found near the Luhansk airport. Vladimir Inogorodsky, spokesman of the Donetsk People's Republic, confirmed that Igla missiles had been used. The separatists had said a week prior to the downing of the plane that they would not allow any more flights into the airport.Bloodiest day in Ukraine conflict as rebel missiles bring down military jet https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/14/ukraine-conflict-bloodiest-day-missiles-bring-down-military-jet Observer Alec Luhn 14 June 2014 14 June 2014 15 June 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140615080529/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/14/ukraine-conflict-bloodiest-day-missiles-bring-down-military-jet live The incident was the worst loss suffered by the Ukrainian military in a single event since the pro-Russian conflict began in February 2014. It was also the fourth deadliest involving the Il-76 and the tenth deadliest aircrash in Ukraine. According to a Russian source, on 17 June the head of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) Valeriy Bolotov announced that investigators from the LPR were able to find neither armaments nor the body parts of soldiers at the crash site. Bolotov hypothesized that the plane was empty and was intended to transport the bodies of soldiers killed in action, while reaffirming that rebels had shot down the plane.ru:Глава ЛНР допускает, что сбитый над Луганском Ил-76 был пустым Head of the DPR surmises that the il-76 which was shot down over Lugansk was empty ITAR-TAS 17 June 2014 18 June 2014 http://itar-tass.com/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/1261623 ru 23 January 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150123142254/http://itar-tass.com/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/1261623 live On 7 October 2017, the Security Service of Ukraine claimed it had established the involvement of the Russian private military company (PMC) Wagner Group in the downing of the Il-76.Hrytsak: SBU uncovers involvement of Russian ‘Wagner PMC’ in destroying Il-76 in Donbas, Debaltseve events https://web.archive.org/web/20210213203525/https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/hrytsak-sbu-uncovers-involvement-russian-wagner-pmc-destroying-il-76-donbas-debaltseve-events.html 13 February 2021 , Kyiv Post (7 October 2017) On 14 June 2019, on the fifth anniversary of the shootdown of the aircraft, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that its investigators established direct involvement of Russian Federation Armed Forces lieutenant general Yevgeny Nikiforov, who ordered Dmitry Utkin from the Wagner Group to destroy the aircraft.СБУ встановила причетність Кремля до збиття українського військово-транспортного літака ІЛ-76 https://ssu.gov.ua/ua/news/1/category/2/view/6157 ssu.gov.ua 14 June 2019 14 June 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190614152501/https://ssu.gov.ua/ua/news/1/category/2/view/6157 deaduk Aircraft The aircraft was an Ilyushin Il-76MD of the Ukrainian Air Force,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27845313 Ukraine crisis: Military plane shot down in Luhansk BBC News 14 June 2014 14 June 2014 14 June 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140614064304/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27845313 live https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27849435 Ukraine's Poroshenko vows response to Luhansk plane downing BBC News 14 June 2014 14 June 2014 3 May 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220503153058/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27849435 live registration 76777, manufacturer's serial number 0083482490. The aircraft had first flown in 1988.http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20140614-0 76777 Criminal Occurrence description Aviation Safety Network 14 June 2014 17 June 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140617195904/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20140614-0 live Originally operated by Aeroflot as CCCP-76777, the aircraft had subsequently served with the Ukrainian Air Force, Azov-Azia Aircompany and Avilond TAC as UR-76777 before serving with Payam Air as EP-TPY. A planned acquisition by the ATI Aircompany did not go ahead, and the aircraft was reacquired by the Ukrainian Air Force.http://www.aerotransport.org/php/go.php?query=airframes&qstring=Il-76+msn+83482490&q=UR-76777&where=t2.type_id%3D4430001+and+pl.cn%3D83482490.00&orderby=1 Airframes Profile for: Il-76 msn 83482490 Aero Transport Data Bank 14 June 2014 17 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220417114115/http://www.aerotransport.org/php/go.php?query=airframes&qstring=Il-76+msn+83482490&q=UR-76777&where=t2.type_id%3D4430001+and+pl.cn%3D83482490.00&orderby=1 live Reactions Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko threatened separatists with an "adequate response" and declared 15 June a day of national mourning.http://www.euronews.com/2014/06/14/day-of-mourning-for-downed-ukrainian-army-transport-plane/ Day of mourning for downed Ukrainian army transport plane Euronews 14 June 2014 19 June 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140619234304/http://www.euronews.com/2014/06/14/day-of-mourning-for-downed-ukrainian-army-transport-plane/ dead In a televised emergency meeting, Poroshenko scolded the head of the country's SBU security service for "omissions" in protecting the aircraft. He called for "a detailed analysis of the reasons" for the failure and indicated that personnel changes may be instituted.Ukraine vows to punish rebels who downed plane Associated Press David McHugh Marko Dobrnjakovic 14 June 2014 15 June 2014 http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ukraine-ministry-rebels-down-military-aircraft 17 June 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140617085559/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ukraine-ministry-rebels-down-military-aircraft dead The acting defense minister of Ukraine Mykhaylo Koval announced that the decision has been made to relieve the chief of staff of the Ukrainian military of his duties for the period of the investigation into the incident.ru:Глава ГОУ ГШ ВС Украины отстранен из-за расследования дела об ИЛ-76 Head of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces GOU suspended because of the investigation into the loss of IL-76 RIA Novosti 15 June 2014 15 June 2014 http://ria.ru/world/20140615/1012114763.html ru 19 October 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171019025418/https://ria.ru/world/20140615/1012114763.html live РИА Новости Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk remarked, "They lost their lives because they defended men and women, children and the elderly". He also said: "First, we will commemorate the heroes by wiping out those who killed them and then by cleaning our land from the evil".Ukraine's Prime Minister Yatsenyuk: We will commemorate the heroes by cleaning our land from the evil Embassy of Ukraine in the United States of America 15 June 2014 15 June 2014 http://usa.mfa.gov.ua/en/press-center/news/24185-mi-uvichnimo-pamjaty-gerojiv-ochistivshi-nashu-zemlyu-vid-nechistiarsenij-jacenyuk-u-spivchutti-ridnim-i-blizykim-zagiblih-vojiniv-u-lugansyku https://web.archive.org/web/20140615062948/http://usa.mfa.gov.ua/en/press-center/news/24185-mi-uvichnimo-pamjaty-gerojiv-ochistivshi-nashu-zemlyu-vid-nechistiarsenij-jacenyuk-u-spivchutti-ridnim-i-blizykim-zagiblih-vojiniv-u-lugansyku 15 June 2014 In March 2017, a Ukrainian court sentenced Major General Viktor Nazarov to seven years' imprisonment, the court decision stated that Nazarov had received information that the plane could have been fired upon by MANPADS equipment.uk Ill-76 disaster: General Nazarov's appeal will be considered first https://web.archive.org/web/20220722164112/https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2018/11/29/7199748/ 22 July 2022 , Ukrayinska Pravda (29 November 2018) On 21 May 2021 the Criminal Court of Cassation of the Supreme Court acquitted Nazarov.General Nazarov was acquitted in the case of the IL-76 plane shot down over Luhansk Генерала Назарова виправдали у справі збитого над Луганськом літака Іл-76 https://web.archive.org/web/20220729233753/https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2021/05/21/7294363/ 29 July 2022 , Ukrayinska Pravda (21 May 2021) During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine at the Battle of Vasylkiv, Lieutenant general Valerii Zaluzhnyi and others on social media referenced the 2014 Ukrainian Il-76 shootdown after reports emerged that two Russian Il-76 were shot down on 26 February 2022. They described the destruction of the two Russian transport aircraft as "revenge" for the loss of all the occupants of the Ukrainian Il-76.26 February 2022 2 Russian transport jets shot down as attacks continue in Kyiv: Reports The Week https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2022/02/26/2-russian-transport-jets-shot-down-as-attacks-continue-in-kyiv-reports.html 26 February 2022 1 March 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220301212653/https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2022/02/26/2-russian-transport-jets-shot-down-as-attacks-continue-in-kyiv-reports.html live Demerly Tom 26 February 2022 Reports: "Two Russian Il-76s Shot Down" in Ukraine, Combat Erupts in Kyiv The Aviationist https://theaviationist.com/2022/02/26/two-il-76s-shot-down-in-ukraine/ 26 February 2022 6 June 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220606152747/https://theaviationist.com/2022/02/26/two-il-76s-shot-down-in-ukraine/ live See also Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 – also shot down in Donbas one month later References External links N5pkR8EXVd4 RT: Ukraine military Il-76 plane downed by self-defense forces in Lugansk D92fFrLl1Go CCTV of the shootdown in Lugansk Category:2014 in Ukraine Category:21st-century aircraft shootdown incidents Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Ilyushin Il-76 Category:Attacks in Europe in 2014 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2014 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Ukraine Category:Aviation history of Ukraine Category:Luhansk Oblast in the Russo-Ukrainian war Category:June 2014 in Ukraine Category:Luhansk People's Republic Category:Ukrainian Air Force Category:War in Donbas Category:2014 disasters in Ukraine Category:History of Luhansk