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Russian military expert Leonid Ivashov assessed the consequences of the An-26 plane crash near Kharkov for the Ukrainian Air Force. The Colonel General told RIA Novosti about this.
According to Ivashov, although the death of the young cadets is a severe blow to the country’s army, it is not fatal. He noted that if there is a shortage of boaters in the country, the authorities will simply shorten the study period at flight schools so that seniors take the service earlier than planned.
The specialist also said that the An-26s used by the Ukrainian Air Force are outdated aircraft. He added that, despite this, Ukraine at the moment cannot be retrofitted with more modern models.
The An-26, which crashed near Kharkov, was previously reported to be under repair according to newspapers. It should be noted that the aircraft was manufactured in 1977 and was 43 years old at the time of the accident. It was assumed that the repair would extend its useful life by another two years. According to the documents, it was scheduled to finish by October 1.
A-26 plane crashed near the city of Chuguev, in the Kharkiv region, on September 25. The accident occurred during a training flight at a distance of two kilometers from the military airport, after which the plate caught fire.
On the plane were military pilots and cadets from the Kharkiv National Air Force University named after Ivan Kozhedub. In total, there were 27 people on board: 20 cadets and seven crew members. According to the latest data, 25 of them died.
