Memorial service honors crew of tragic Mi-8 helicopter crash in Donetsk Oblast
Ukraine’s Poltava Oblast is in mourning on Sept. 1 as it bids farewell to the crews of two Mi-8 helicopters that tragically crashed in the Kramatorsk region of Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 29, Ukrainian news outlets Ukrinform and Suspilne reported on Sept. 1.
Yevhen Rakyta, the spokesperson for the I. Sikorsky 18th Separate Army Aviation Brigade, shared the names of the fallen individuals. The casualties include four pilots and two onboard technicians:
Commander of the helicopter, Colonel Viktor Opanasiuk
Senior onboard technician, Captain Yurii Anisimov
Navigator-pilot, Senior Lieutenant Valentyn Vorobets
Onboard technician, Captain Yevhen Kysil
Formation navigator, Senior Lieutenant Ivan Yarovyi
Formation leader, Captain Vladyslav Rymar
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All the fallen soldiers had significant combat experience and were decorated with combat awards.
The memorial service for these fallen heroes started around 10:00 a.m. at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in the village of Horbanivka, Shcherbanivska community. Friends, relatives, and comrades-in-arms were in attendance. The coffins were adorned with Ukrainian flags.
Mi-8 Crash in Donetsk: What We Know
Read also: Poor maintenance, non-compliance, or Russian sabotage – UA to investigate Mi-8 helicopter disaster
Two Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters crashed near Kramatorsk on Aug. 29. Rakyta reported the loss of six military personnel during a combat mission in the Bakhmut direction.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces disclosed that at the time, there were reports of a Russian Su-35 fighter jet taking off while the Ukrainian helicopters were attempting to land—a standard safety procedure to avoid potential attacks.
The State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) has initiated an inquiry into the incident. They stated that they would investigate the technical condition of the helicopters, adherence to flight preparation protocols, and the possibility of sabotage or interference by Russian forces.
The preliminary qualification is a violation of flight rules or flight preparation, as stipulated in Article 416 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code.
Read also: Russian Mi-8 helicopter with crew reportedly surrender to Ukrainian military, says journalist
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
