Commander of Ukraine’s Most Elite Fighter Brigade Killed in Action After Hundreds of Missions Against Russia

The Ukrainian Air Force on March 9 reported the death of one of the country’s most experienced airmen, Colonel Alexander Dovgach, the commander of the 39th Fighter Aviation Brigade, during a combat sortie. “In the eastern direction, in the conditions of a significant advantage of the air enemy and powerful counteraction of hostile air defence systems, Colonel Alexander Dovgach was killed,” the Air Force announced. Dovgach carried out combat missions in the Kiev, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, and also carried out strikes on Snake Island in the spring of 2022. On September 30, 2025, he  was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and the “Gold Star” order for his operations. The Ukrainian Air Force described him as "a true leader and combat pilot" who led from the front and had flown hundreds of combat sorties against Russian forces. The brigade he commanded is widely considered the most elite in the Ukrainian Air Force, and has had a special status since its formation.

Colonel Dovgach is likely to have been flying one of the Ukrainian Air Force’s last Su-27 long range air superiority fighters, which are one of the two fighter types operated by the 39th Fighter Aviation Brigade alongside a small number of recently donated Mirage 2000s. The unit traces its history back to the Soviet Air Force 894th Fighter Aviation Regiment, which was initially equipped with MiG-29s, but transitioned to operating more capable Su-27s in the early 2000s. The brigade has suffered several combat losses, with multiple pilots killed in action on the first day alone, including Lieutenant Colonel Eduard Vahorovsky and Major Dmytro Kolomiiets, both of whom were posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine. The Su-27 has retained an elite status within the Ukrainian Air Force, with pilots having commented that its combat potential far exceeds those of other fighter types in service including the MiG-29, F-16 and Mirage 2000.

Having been developed as the Soviet Union’s premier air superiority fighter, the Su-27 is particularly prized for its much larger and more powerful radar than other Ukrainian operated fighter types, as well as its far longer range and higher weapons carrying capacity. Although obsolete for air-to-air engagements with Russian fighters, Su-27s remain highly capable for strike operations against Russian targets, and have been extensively modernised with the support of multiple NATO member states to be able to integrate Western-produced guided weapons, as these weapons have been donated to Ukraine as aid. The most significant of these is the AGM-88 HARM air-to-surface anti-radiation missile, which homes in on radar emissions, and is considered optimal for strikes on Russian air defence systems. 

Ukrainian Su-27s have also been modified to employ ADM-160 MALD decoy missiles, French AASM Hammer precision guided bombs, and U.S. GBU-39 small diameter bombs. To employ these new weapons, the aircraft's internal systems have also been modified, including the integration of a new navigation and information system, a helmet-mounted cuing and indication system, and a new digital processor in the weapons control system. Ukrainian air operations have faced very considerable challenges not only from far more modern Russian ground-based air defences and fighter and interceptor units, but also from strikes on air bases, which have been filmed destroying multiple Su-27s multiple times since the outbreak of full scale hostilities in February 2022. While the Ukrainian Air Force was previously the second largest operator of the Su-27 by a significant margin, it is estimated to have only 12-20 of the aircraft still in service.