A 41-year-old veteran of the Russian Airborne Forces tragically lost his life on Sunday after his parachute failed to deploy properly during a training jump near Moscow. The fatal accident occurred on Russia’s annual Airborne Forces Day, a holiday traditionally marked by veteran skydiving displays and nationwide celebrations.
The victim, identified as Kirill Subotin from the Nizhny Novgorod region, was conducting a solo training jump from an altitude of approximately 600 meters at the Vatulino airfield. According to reports from the Investigative Committee, the main canopy failed to open during the descent.
Subotin attempted to save himself by activating his reserve parachute, but it deployed far too late to slow his descent. He struck the ground at high speed and succumbed to his injuries on impact. Investigators noted that the flight aboard an An-2 aircraft was meant to be his tenth career parachute jump, following nine previous successful descents. Local authorities have launched a formal procedural check to thoroughly investigate the exact technical and operational circumstances surrounding the fatal incident.
