Description

The Sukhoi SU-25 (NATO reporting name: Frogfoot) also known under the name ‘Grach’ – Russian for Rook, is a subsonic, twin-engine, attack jet aircraft, destined to provide close air support for the forces on the ground.

The ‘Grach’ keychain in your possession was designed from the shot down Russian Air Force Su-25SM-67, air force designator – “15 Blue”. The aircraft was built as a regular single seat SU-25, however, it was later upgraded to the SM (Stroyevoy Modernizirovannyi) model during its service at the Russian Air Force.

While it still remains unclear to which exact regiment this ‘Frogfoot’ belonged at the time of the crash, it is known for certain that the aircraft previously served with the 37th Composite Aviation Regiment (SAP), based in temporary occupied Hvardiiske, Crimea with the designator – “11 Blue”. Before that, the aircraft was seen with the 960th Assault Aviation Regiment, based in Primorkso-Akhtarsk, Russia.

The ‘Grach’ met its final fatal hour in one of the battles for the now infamous village of Chornobaivka, in Kherson Oblast of Ukraine, but the actual crash site was located on the field of  the village of Zelenyi Gai.

After the liberation of Ukrainian Kherson on the 11th of November 2022, with the help of the local residents and a few tractors, we managed to reclaim the parts of the wrecked ‘Grach’ and turn them into keychains for aviation enthusiasts around the world as a stark reminder of the Ukrainian air force excellence!