Retired Russian air force pilot Kanamat Botashev killed in Ukraine

Major General Kanamat Botashev, a retired 63-year-old Russian army pilot who used to head the 7000th Air Base in Voronezh, was killed during the war in Ukraine, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reports.

“A farewell ceremony was held in Karachay-Cherkessia for air ace and Hero of Russia Botashev, who died heroically during the operation in Ukraine. The details of his death are not revealed,” the agency wrote on Telegram.

On 23 May, Ukrainian Telegram channel OperativnoZSU reported, citing Russian Telegram chats, that Botashev might have been killed near the city of Popasna in the Luhansk region.

“The administrator of the channel published a post which hinted at the death of a high-ranking pilot. There was a discussion in the comments, during which group members attempted to find out who died. One comment said it was Kanamat. However, the administrator deleted this comment. Other members of the chat continued the discussion using his initials – K. KH. B,” the Telegram channel wrote.

“Today, Kanamat was killed! The area of Popasna, 8:25… First, NARs [unguided aircraft rockets], then bombs… A Stinger [missile] during the break, an explosion in the air and… That’s it,” the deleted comment said.

On 24 May, three former subordinates of the pilot, who kept in touch with him after he resigned, confirmed the reports of his death to BBC News Russian. One of the sources said that Botashev was flying a Su-25 fighter in Ukraine.

On 22 May, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Ukraine took down a Russian Su-25 jet in the area of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Kamanat Botashev was born in Karachay-Cherkessia, a republic within Russia located in North Caucasus. Before resigning, Botashev headed the 7000th Air Base in Voronezh.

In June 2012, the major general of the Russian Air Force was charged in a criminal case on the crash of a Su-27 fighter in Russia’s Karelia. He was accused of flying the plane without a permit. Botashev received a four-year suspended sentence and was hit with a five-million-ruble (€73,000) fine. The pilot pled guilty.