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| Date: | Thursday 4 January 2024 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Sukhoi Su-34 |
| Owner/operator: | Russian Air Force |
| Registration: | |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Location: | Chelyabinsk Shagol Air Base, Chelyabinsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast -
 Russia
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Little or no information is available |
On 4 January 2023, a saboteur attempted to set a Russian Air Force Su-34 fighter bomber on fire at Chelyabinsk Shagol Air Base. The saboteur attempted to set the aircraft on fire through lighting a fire inside the right air intake of the aircraft. However, as stated by the reliable Russian military blogger channel "Fighterbomber", this was unsuccessful due to the distance between the air intake itself and the right engine. A video of the act was published by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
Nonetheless, several Ukrainian and other western sources claimed the destruction of the aircraft without citing further evidence.
Later on 5 January 2023, Russian news channels Interfax, RIA Novosti and TASS reported that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) had detained a Russian national involved in the sabotage attempt. Citing a statement from the FSB Center for Public Relations, the following was reported:
"The Federal Security Service detained a Russian national involved in an attempt of committing a sabotage act in January 2024 on the instruction of Ukrainian special services at a facility of the Russian Ministry of Defense in the Chelyabinsk Region. The saboteur was recruited on the Internet via social networks."
Additionally, during evidence collection, the individuals involvement in the disruption of communication facilities and railway infrastructure in November and December 2023 was established. Furthermore, evidence containing communications and electronic storage media, including reports and correspondence with the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine was sized.
On 7 January 2023, news site 74.ru reported that a a 16-year-old Dagestani, accused of trying to set fire to a military plane in Chelyabinsk, was sent to a pre-trial detention center for two months by the Tractorozavodsky District Court. The site additionally mentioned that the fire was put out by airbase security forces shortly after it was lit, with the saboteur being detained shortly after. The accused was a native of Buynaksk, and is a student who lives with his parents.
The detainee is accused of §3 of Article 30 (Preparations for a crime, and attempted crimes), §2 of Article 281 (Sabotage) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which prescribes in a sentence of 12 to 20 years in prison.
Sources:
https://t.me/fighter_bomber/15283
https://t.me/fighter_bomber/15297
https://tass.com/emergencies/1729409
https://ria.ru/20240105/diversiya-1919871028.html
https://www.interfax.ru/russia/939118
https://74.ru/text/criminal/2024/01/07/73096286/
https://en.topwar.ru/233599-v-cheljabinske-ukrainskie-diversanty-bezuspeshno-pytalis-unichtozhit-samolet-su-34.html
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Jan-2024 12:56 | gerard57 | Added |
| 04-Jan-2024 15:06 | Dolly564 | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 04-Jan-2024 20:03 | Anon. | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 05-Jan-2024 07:25 | AlxSrgv | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative, Category, ] |
| 03-Feb-2024 09:12 | Anon. | Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative, Category, ] |
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