Kanamat Khuseevich Botashev (russian: Канамат Хусеевич Боташев; 20 May 1959 – 22 May 2022) was a Russian major general who was the commander of the military unit 23326 of the Western Military District and the commander of the

Voronezh Malshevo Voronezh Malshevo is an air base in Voronezh Oblast of the Russian Air Force as part of the 6th Air and Air Defence Forces Army, Western Military District. and Baltimore. The base is home to the 47th Composite Guards Aviation Regiment which oper ...

airbase near

Voronezh Voronezh ( rus, links=no, Воро́неж, p=vɐˈronʲɪʂ}) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the ...

. He was posthumously awarded the title

Hero of the Russian Federation Hero of the Russian Federation (russian: Герой Российской Федерации, Geroy Rossiyskoy Federatsii), also unofficially Hero of Russia (russian: link=no, Герой России, Geroy Rossii), is the highest honorary title ...

Biography

In 1976, he graduated from high school. In 1981, he graduated from the . In 2010, he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia. On 29 December 2012, a criminal case was opened against him under Article 351 of the Criminal Code (violation of flight rules) for crashing a

SU-27 The Sukhoi Su-27 (russian: Сухой Су-27; NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a Soviet-origin twin-engine supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large US fourth-generation jet ...

plane while violating flight rules. He had reportedly piloted the aircraft without undergoing proper training and pre-flight medical checks, and then decided to perform aerobatics and thus accidentally destroyed the SU-27. Botashev was sentenced to four years probation with a fine of 5 million rubles. In 2013 he was discharged from the army. After that he worked as deputy head of

DOSAAF DOSAAF (russian: ДОСААФ), full name ''Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy'' (russian: Добровольное общество содействия армии, авиации и флоту), was a parami ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

and

Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, a ...

for aviation, and deputy director of an aeroclub in Saint Petersburg. According to Ukrainian media, he took part in the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

and died on 22 May 2022 near

Popasna Popasna (, rus, Попасная, r=Popasnaya) is a ruined city in the Sievierodonetsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. In 2013, it had almost 22,000 inhabitants. Prior to 2020, it was the administrative center of the former Popasna Raion. In 20 ...

, piloting a

Sukhoi Su-25 The Sukhoi Su-25 ''Grach'' (russian: Грач (''rook''); NATO reporting name: Frogfoot) is a subsonic, single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to provide close air support for Soviet Gro ...

attack aircraft, which was shot down by a FIM-92 Stinger. Russian media later confirmed his death in combat in Ukraine. Observers speculated that Botashev had been flying as a

mercenary A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...

pilot for the Wagner Group.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Botashev, Kanamat 1959 births 2022 deaths Russian major generals Eastern Ukraine offensive Russian military personnel killed in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Frunze Military Academy alumni Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia alumni Soviet Air Force officers Russian Air Force generals People from Karachayevsky District Russian mercenaries Russian aviators

Biography

See also

References