Video: A Russian paratrooper flew 600 meters without a parachute in honor of Airborne Forces Day and died
A Russian paratrooper was killed in the Moscow region during celebrations marking Airborne Forces Day. According to online reports, his main parachute failed to open as he jumped from the plane, and the soldier fell from a height of about 600 meters.
The incident occurred on August 2, Russia’s Airborne Forces Day. The tragedy took place at the Vatulino military airfield in the Moscow region. A short video from the scene has been circulating online. The video lasts about six seconds, but it captures the moment of the jump.
The footage shows an old Soviet An-2 aircraft from which a paratrooper jumps. After the jump, the soldier immediately tries to open his parachute, but according to preliminary reports, it failed to deploy. Other Russian soldiers watched the jump from the ground. They watched the paratrooper as he fell. At that moment, shots were also heard being fired into the air at the airfield. They were likely related to the celebration of Airborne Forces Day, although the exact purpose of the shooting is unknown.
The paratrooper fell from a great height
According to information circulating online, the deceased Russian soldier was 41 years old. Preliminary reports indicate that his main parachute failed to open. It is currently unknown how much time he had to deploy his reserve parachute or whether he attempted to do so.
It is also claimed that the paratrooper fell approximately 600 meters to the ground. The name of the deceased, his military rank, and the unit in which he served have not yet been disclosed.
Video Circulated Online
Footage of the moment of the jump began circulating on Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels. The video does not show detailed shots of the fall or the aftermath of the tragedy—only the plane, the soldier’s jump, and the reaction of people on the ground are visible.
Information about the circumstances of the death is currently coming mainly from online sources. There is no independent confirmation of all the details of the incident—including the identity of the deceased and the exact height of the fall—in the reports cited. Therefore, the final circumstances of the tragedy and the cause of the parachute malfunction have yet to be determined. This is reported on local Telegram channels.
Alexei Marushchenko, the founder of the Russian private military company “Yastreb,” was sentenced to 18 years in a strict-regime penal colony on charges of fraud, extortion, abuse of authority, kidnapping, and murder.
