UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Jun. 17 — On Jun. 16 at around 7:00 p.m., Bohdan Babenko, a 23-year-old resident of the Bohodukhiv district, was killed in a Su-24M military aircraft crash in the Khmelnytskyi region, the Bohodukhiv City Council reported.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the crash involved a Su-24M frontline bomber from the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade named after Petro Franko during a combat mission. 

The first lieutenant Babenko was killed alongside the aircraft’s pilot, 55-year-old major Bohdan Zahorulko.

Babenko was born in Bohodukhiv, a city in Kharkiv region. He graduated from a military lyceum and later from the Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv National Air Force University.

“Ever since childhood, he had decided that his mission was to defend his homeland and keep the sky peaceful,” stated Volodymyr Belyi, the mayor of Bohodukhiv.

According to preliminary information, no civilians were injured or killed. The causes of the crash are currently under investigation.

Author: Yaroslava Pyvovar

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