A Russian helicopter lands in Ukraine, two crew members are killed, the pilot defected, according to Ukrainian reports. But what role did the secret service really play?
According to media reports, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter and its crew have been lured onto Ukrainian territory by the Ukrainian secret service. The pilot was persuaded to defect, several Ukrainian media reported on Wednesday, citing intelligence sources. Military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yussow confirmed the incident on television, but gave no details: “Work is being done, including with the crew. Everything is fine and there will be news,” he said.
According to the Internet portal “Ukrajinska Pravda”, the helicopter landed in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv. Two uninitiated members of the crew were killed. The pilot is still in Ukraine, as is his family, who previously fled Russia. Confirmations for this were not available for the time being.
Russian military bloggers had previously reported on a Mi-8 helicopter that had gone missing several weeks ago. This is said to have lost orientation and landed at a Ukrainian airfield near the central Ukrainian city of Poltava. In the ensuing fight, the pilot was wounded and the rest of the crew were killed.
Ukraine has been repelling a Russian invasion for almost 18 months.
Source: Stern
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