SBI and the prosecutorʼs office officially announced the investigation into the crash of two Mi-8 military helicopters

The law enforcement officers officially announced the beginning of the investigation into the plane crash of two Mi-8 military helicopters, which occurred on August 29 in the Kramatorsk district of Donetsk region.

This is reported by the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).

Violations of flight rules or preparation for them are being investigated (Article 416 of the Criminal Code). They also check the technical condition of the machines and versions about knockdown and sabotage. Specialists will study the data of the flight recorders. As part of the investigation, a number of examinations have already been appointed.

Law enforcement officers confirm the death of six servicemen. These are crews.

• It became known about the fall of helicopters on August 30 from media publications. These are helicopters of the 18th separate army aviation brigade named after Igor Sikorsky (Ground Forces). All six of the dead had officer ranks. They will be buried on September 1 in Poltava.
• The reasons for the crash are still unknown, but the head of the press service of the Eastern Group of Forces Ilya Yevlash said that the helicopters were on a combat mission when an enemy Su-35 fighter jet flew into the sky. Then Ukrainian helicopters were landing to avoid the attack. The investigation will determine why they fell.