Ukraine Kills 12th Russian General - A Pilot Flying For Mercenary Wagner Group

There are two unusual aspects to this story: first that a retired 63 year old major general was flying sorties over an active battle and second, that he was doing so not for the Russian Air Force, but for the Wagner Group mercenary organization. 

This confirms Russian shortages of trained personnel and that in order to recruit them, it is using Wagner to hire retired or foreign fighters it has to pay more in order to get them to do so. His plane was shot down by Ukrainian troops. JL
 

Multiple sources, including Ukraine Ministry of Defense:

Ukrainian paratroopers have shot down a plane piloted by a Russian general over the Luhansk region. The deceased Russian is Kanamat Khuseevich Botashev – Major General of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, born in 1959. Botashev was dismissed from the army in 2013, a defendant in a criminal case. He was accused of destroying a Su-27 fighter aircraft (while joyriding). Botyshev was engaged as a mercenary at the Wagner Group. Wagner reported on May 10 that it had its own jet aircraft, and aircraft have appeared over Popasna with markings unconventional for the Russian Air Force. A 63-year-old retired major general at the helm of a Su-25 jet aircraft is surprising.

Ukrainian paratroopers have shot down a plane piloted by a Russian general over the Luhansk region.

This can be concluded from a discussion in one of the Russian communities about military aviation.

The administrator of the Telegram channel made a post in which he hinted at the death of a high-ranking pilot.

Then, the members of the community started trying to find out in the comments who exactly had died. One of the participants of the discussion shared the details: “Kanamat died today!!! Popasna District, 8:25 am… The first attempt – unguided missile, the second – bombs… Stinger on the way out of the attack, an explosion in the air and… The end ”

The administrator has deleted this comment. However, other participants continued the discussion using the initials – K. Kh. B.

Probably, the deceased mentioned by the Russians is Kanamat Khuseevich Botashev – Major General of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, born in 1959.

It was a quote from his interview with Prospect.North Caucasus that was shared in the original post of the community.

However, Botashev was dismissed from the army in 2013. Botashev was a defendant in a criminal case. He was accused of destroying a Su-27 fighter aircraft.

According to Novaya Gazeta, back in 2012, Botashev arrived at the military unit 23326-2, where he asked its commander, Yevgen Oliynyk, to “ride” a Su-27UB. Botashev sat in the co-pilot’s seat and together with Oliynyk, they performed several maneuvers in the air. However, Botashev wanted to perform the “bell” aerobatics, after which the pilots lost control of the aircraft and ejected. They were both fired from the military.

Prior to that, Botashev commanded the Baltimore Air Base in Voronezh. Previously, Su-24 attack aircraft and MiG-25 interceptors were based there. Today, there are Su-34 strike fighters there.

After his release, prior to the full-scale invasion, Botashev was working in the DOSAAF (Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy) of the Russian Federation as a Deputy Director of the aeroclub in St. Petersburg.

The probable death of a 63-year-old retired major general at the helm of a Su-25 jet aircraft is surprising. It is unclear in what status he participated in hostilities.

It is possible that Botyshev was engaged as a mercenary at the Wagner Group. A Wagner-linked telegram channel reported on May 10 that it had its own jet aircraft: “Rumors have appeared about aviation over Popasna with markings unconventional for the Russian Air Force or the Ukrainian Air Force. There is a trend towards car sharing in the world now, and the “orchestra” has been using plane sharing for a while now, but it is just for people in the know.”

Previously, on May 22, 2022, the Ukrainian paratroopers reported a Russian Su-25 to be downed. The 80th Air Assault Brigade “landed” the aircraft with the Igla MANPADS.