The wife of the commander of a strategic long-range radar detection aircraft…

The wife of the commander of the A-50 strategic long-range radar detection aircraft, Vyacheslav Levchenko, confirmed to the Cheka-OGPU that the plane was shot down. Her husband, as well as the entire crew, are listed as missing. The A-50 crashed into the sea and the relatives of the crew member have not yet been notified of the discovery of the bodies. This is the first confirmation that the plane was shot down and the crew killed.

Victoria Levchenko told the Cheka-OGPU that her husband is considered missing. The head of the family was last in touch on January 13 and said that he was going on duty. And the next day, the AWACS board and the IL-22 command post aircraft were attacked in the sky over the Sea of ​​Azov. The IL-22, despite significant damage, managed to land at Anapa airport, but the fate of the A-50 is officially still unknown.

“They said he was listed as missing. But the chances are very small,” Victoria told the Cheka-OGPU.

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The command of the unit where the pilots were based is not yet planning any mourning events. At least until the crew members are officially declared dead. It is unclear what to do in such a “suspended” situation.

According to Victoria Levenko, the 56-year-old commander of the A-50 radar patrol and guidance aviation complex, Lieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Levchenko, 2nd class pilot, took part in the military parade dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Victory in Moscow in 2020. He was considered a “specialist” and one of the most experienced pilots in the Russian Federation.