Ukraine–Russia
Russian channels say two Su-35S jets collided over Kursk; MoD has not confirmed
This version is a correction.
- Location
- Kursk Oblast, Russia (oblast-level; exact collision site unpublished)
- Actors
- Russia
- Importance
- Notable
On 7 September 2026 the Russian military-aviation Telegram channel Fighterbomber said two Russian Su-35S fighters collided in mid-air over Kursk Oblast. Defence Blog and the Daily Express both carried that report; follow-up posts said one pilot was killed and another injured or evacuated, but those crew details conflict and have not been independently confirmed. Russia’s Defence Ministry and Ukrainian officials had not confirmed a collision at the time of these accounts.
Why it matters
If confirmed, two Su-35s lost over the Kursk border region is a material loss of Russian air cover.
Verification: unverified
Evidence: Russian Su-35 fighter jets collide over Kursk, killing pilot, Russia humiliation as two fighter jets 'crash into each other' in 'horror smash'
- Russian Su-35 fighter jets collide over Kursk, killing pilotDefence Blog · news report · supports · Published 07 Sept 2026, 16:52 UTC · Retrieved 07 Sept 2026, 18:15 UTC
- Russia humiliation as two fighter jets 'crash into each other' in 'horror smash'Daily Express · news report · supports · Published 07 Sept 2026, 16:45 UTC · Retrieved 07 Sept 2026, 18:15 UTC
- Two Russian SU-35s fighter jets have collided over the Kursk region of Russia leaving one pilot dead according to reports.WarMonitor · Social post · supports · Published 07 Sept 2026, 17:51 UTC · Retrieved 07 Sept 2026, 18:15 UTC
Classification
Military · Military movement · Air · Atomic
Tags: aviation_accident · kursk · su35
Participants
- Russia · Affected · Evidence: Russian Su-35 fighter jets collide over Kursk, killing pilot, Russia humiliation as two fighter jets 'crash into each other' in 'horror smash'
Location methodology
Kursk Oblast, Russia (oblast-level; exact collision site unpublished) · within 60 km · Confidence: Estimated · Evidence: Russian Su-35 fighter jets collide over Kursk, killing pilot, Russia humiliation as two fighter jets 'crash into each other' in 'horror smash'
Claims
- Two Russian Su-35S fighters collided in mid-air over Kursk Oblast on 7 September 2026. · Attributed to Fighterbomber (Russian military-aviation Telegram channel) · Confidence: Unknown · Evidence: Russian Su-35 fighter jets collide over Kursk, killing pilot, Russia humiliation as two fighter jets 'crash into each other' in 'horror smash', Two Russian SU-35s fighter jets have collided over the Kursk region of Russia leaving one pilot dead according to reports.
- One pilot was killed and another injured or evacuated. · Confidence: Unknown · Evidence: Russian Su-35 fighter jets collide over Kursk, killing pilot · Crew accounts conflict across follow-up posts; Russia’s Defence Ministry has not confirmed.
Review and provenance
Revision 2 · First published 07 Sept 2026, 18:19 UTC · Current revision 07 Sept 2026, 18:38 UTC · Change: Correction