The Su-27 fighter of the Ukrainian Air Force, who escaped to Romania in the first hours of the military operation of the Russian army, returned to his homeland. This was reported by Romanian air spotters and confirmed by the Ministry of Defense of the country.
A pair of Romanian MiG-21s escorted the Su-27 to the border with Ukraine. Before departure, the fighter was disarmed.
"The plane was returned at the request of the Ukrainian authorities," the ministry said. The fate of the pilot is unknown.
Recall that in the early morning of February 24, a pair of F-16 fighters of the Romanian Air Force was lifted towards a Ukrainian aircraft that entered the country's airspace from the north. The Su-27 was landed at the Bakau Airbase, the pilot surrendered to the Romanian authorities. Judging by the photos that appeared soon, the fighter belonged to the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces on duty and was armed with R-27 and R-73 air-to-air missiles.
Anton Valagin