An SU-25 "Frogfoot" crashed during a combat mission six kilometers from Dyshno-Vedeno in Chechnya's Vedeno district at 10:30, 29 April. The crash scene was discovered at 11:00 and search party helicopters landed there at 11:18. The pilot, Major Igor Ivanovich Bezryadin (pilot 1st class and deputy squadron commander for political work) was found dead at the scene from injuries received during the crash.

A special investigation commission was sent to the crash site. The search for the flight recorders and other plane parts that may help determine the reasons for the crash was underway, while two theories for the crash were advanced; the Su-25 was either shot down or simply crashed into the mountain. 

During a 30 April visit to Grozny, Chief-of-Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Anatoly Kvashnin categorically denied that the SU-25 could have been shot down by rebels. Unfortunately, Kvashin gave no supporting reasons for this position. - Adam Geibel