Flight was culmination of intelligence operation, Ukrainian military sources tell newspaper, but Russian blogger claims pilot got lost
  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    276·
    10 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    The twin-engine Mi-8 AMTSh was on a flight between two airbases, transporting parts for Su-27 and Su-30 fighter jets, Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reported, citing defence intelligence sources.

    The news about a possible pilot defection came days after a drone attack destroyed a supersonic Russian bomber on an airfield hundreds of kilometres from Ukraine.

    The planes will be handed over in tranches after pilot training has been satisfactorily completed, but because the new crews have to improve their English before learning to fly and maintain the jets, that will not happen until well into next year.

    Ukraine’s small air force is currently made up of Soviet-standard planes that can run only a dozen or so low-risk combat missions a day because they are outnumbered by their Russian equivalents.

    In the context of Russia’s large fleet, the defection of a highly trained pilot – after a successful Ukrainian intelligence mission – would be a more significant military blow than the loss of a single helicopter through crew error.

    The cross-border flight was presented as an accident by Russian blogger Fighterbomber, who runs a Telegram channel with close links to Russia’s air force.

    The original article contains 545 words, the summary contains 190 words. Saved 65%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • Drusas@kbin.social
    15·
    10 months ago

    I wonder how you defect with a helicopter without getting your helicopter shot down.

  • Krause [he/him]@lemmygrad.ml
    3628·
    10 months ago

    according to a Russian Telegram channel

    Western journalism is getting increasingly lazy. Reposting speculation with no evidence to back it up, really?

    • quindraco@lemm.ee
      221·
      10 months ago

      Your quote is not in the article. Here’s the only instance of the word “Telegram” in the article:

      The cross-border flight was presented as an accident by Russian blogger Fighterbomber, who runs a Telegram channel with close links to Russia’s air force.

      • o_d [he/him]@lemmygrad.ml
        2010·
        10 months ago

        Unfortunately, The Guardian doesn’t bother to list a single source at all. That’s certainly lazy. I didn’t dig too deep, but the only reference to a source that I could find anywhere with relation to this story was “a high ranking Ukrainian military official”. Not exactly a reliable, unbiased source.

    • boredtortoise@lemm.ee
      82·
      10 months ago

      It’s right that random channels without verification are not good news but the (accidental) use of empty polarization rhetoric hides good intentions and truth and readers will focus on that

      • Neon@kbin.social
        82·
        10 months ago

        no, he’s absolutely right. Media shouldn’t get their Information from a Telegram Channel (or any social Media for that Matter)

        that being said, his Quote is made up. There is yet no clear conformation, only a russian Military Blogger and the vague nodding of the intelligence office of Ukraine, so still take it with a grain of salt.

        the Intelligence Office could not give a clear answer because, well, they’re in a fucking fight for their survival, or they could also just do what intelligence offices do (lie and deceive to their own advantage).

        apparently we will get a clearer answer from the intelligence Office in a few days, so probably treat it as Fake-News until we get an actual reputationally-binding confirmation from an official source

  • palordrolap@kbin.social
    72·
    10 months ago

    Dude can’t have any family if this is true, because they’d no doubt be getting special attention from Uncle Vladimir right about now.