Russian Lieutenant General Alexander Otrushchenko died in a plane crash in occupied Crimea on March 31, marking the 14th loss of a Russian general since the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The military transport aircraft, an An-26, went down near the village of Kuibyshevo in the Bakhchysarai district. Otrushchenko was on board along with six other officers.
Otrushchenko was the commander of the mixed aviation corps of the Northern Fleet of Russia. His career included several key positions: he led the naval aviation of the Black Sea Fleet from 2010 to 2013, subsequently commanded the naval aviation of the Northern Fleet, and oversaw the 45th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Northern Fleet. He attained the rank of lieutenant general in 2019 and was appointed to his final role in 2024.
He was involved in the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and later participated in Russian operations in Syria.
The crash occurred in the evening, and the deaths were confirmed by two sources, including a Northern Fleet serviceman and a resident of Severomorsk who lost a relative in the incident.
“Yes, he died,” the resident confirmed in response to inquiries from journalists.
This incident adds to a series of high-profile casualties among Russian military leaders involved in the conflict with Ukraine. Notably, in December 2025, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov was killed in a car bombing 16 kilometers from the Kremlin. Reports suggest this may have been a signal from Ukraine to the U.S. regarding its capability to strike at high-ranking Russian command.
Additionally, in October 2025, Lieutenant Vasily Marzoev, the son of General Arkadiy Marzoev, commander of the 18th Combined Arms Army of Russia, was killed in the Zaporizhzhia region. His father had previously been named a suspect by the Security Service of Ukraine for ordering strikes on civilian areas in Kherson.
Lieutenant General Alexander Otrushchenko of the Russian military was killed in a plane crash in Crimea, marking a significant loss in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. His death adds to the growing list of high-ranking military officials lost since the invasion began.