The Telegraph reported that Wagner forces shot down 7 Russian fighter jets and killed 13 pilots during the rebellion, according to Russian military sources. A video widely circulated on social media after the armed rebellion against Moscow appeared to show the wreckage of a Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-22 aircraft in a rural area in southern Russia.
It is claimed that the aircraft, believed to have been used as an airborne command and communications center, was shot down by a defense system deployed by Wagner forces. All ten crew members were killed in the incident, according to the Moscow Calling channel, a Russian Telegram channel followed by nearly 90,000 subscribers. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the loss of the aircraft, and the cause of the crash has not been independently verified.
