A Russian fighter jet piloted by a young captain of the Russian Aerospace Forces reportedly shot down a Ukrainian aircraft flown by one of the most prominent pilots in the Ukrainian Air Force. According to military blogger Kirill Fedorov, the aircraft belonged to Colonel Aleksandr Dovgach, commander of the 38th Tactical Aviation Brigade and a recipient of the title Hero of Ukraine.

Fedorov described the incident as a confrontation in which a relatively young Russian pilot without major decorations managed to defeat a highly decorated opponent during an aerial engagement.

Dovgach’s Su-27 fighter, which was reportedly on a mission to strike Russian infantry positions, was destroyed on March 9 by a long-range R-37M missile launched from a Russian Su-35 fighter. The Ukrainian pilot had previously been awarded the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky in all its classes.

Following the loss of the aircraft, Ukrainian forces are said to have only five heavy Su-27 fighters remaining, including training variants, along with the same number of Su-25 attack aircraft.

Fedorov also reported that the Russian pilot involved in the engagement is expected to be nominated for the Order of Courage. Such an award is rarely granted for a single aerial victory, but the status of the downed opponent was reportedly taken into account.

For now, the officer has received an informal token of recognition. He was presented with a rare wristwatch from a limited series of 100 pieces. The watches sold out within a day, and the pilot received one as a gift from a subscriber of the «War. History. Weapons» channel based in Kazan.