BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:00 A.M.) – Azerbaijan has allegedly admitted to the downing of one of its Su-25 fighter jets during the 40-day-long war inside the Karabakh region, the Russian publication Avia.Pro reported, citing the Azerbaijani military.
According to Avia.Pro, the Armenian air defense forces shot down the Azerbaijani Su-25 while it was flying over the contested Karabakh region.
“The Azerbaijani side has officially acknowledged the loss of its Su-25 attack aircraft in Karabakh, which was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile fired by the Armenian military. Colonel Zaur Nudiraliyev, who was in the cockpit, died, although, it is alleged, he could have ejected, however, according to Baku, he directed the falling plane to the accumulation of enemy forces,” they said.
The Russian publication quoted the Azerbaijani colonel as saying that the Su-25 was shot down over the Jebrayel region of southern Karabakh, which witnessed some of the heaviest clashes during the conflict.
“On October 4, Zaur Nudiraliyev, in his SU-25, approached the target assigned to him in the direction of Jebrayel. At this moment, the central command post received information about the actions of enemy air defense systems. (…) At this time, Zaur Nudiraliyev had already hit his target and was returning back. After that, he stopped communicating. His plane had already been shot down. Despite his injury, the colonel could still eject. But he did not do this in order not to be captured. Having sacrificed his life, he sent the plane to the area where enemy forces and equipment were concentrated and died heroically, ” said Lieutenant Colonel Elchin Mammadov.
It is not known how reliable this information is, however, no such episode was previously mentioned, although the Armenian military claimed several downed combat aircraft of the Azerbaijani Air Force in the area.
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