The Ministry of Defense confirms the loss of two helicopters
Kyiv - Slavyansk, May 02 (Navigator, Victoria Litovchenko) - The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed information about two downed helicopters.
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“Sabotage groups using MANPADS (man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems - editor’s note) shot down two Mi-24 helicopters, one Mi-8 was damaged by small arms fire,” the department said in a statement.
The helicopters were "conducting aerial patrols in a designated area," according to a Defense Department statement. “As a result of the shelling, two servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed, and several more were injured of varying degrees of severity,” the ministry said.
The Mi-8 helicopter of the army aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was damaged by small arms fire. In this case there were no casualties or injuries.
“An investigative commission is working on the spot,” the Ministry of Defense said.
“The fact that MANPADS were used against the Armed Forces of Ukraine clearly demonstrates that it is not “peaceful protesters” who are acting against the Donetsk military personnel, but well-trained and armed professional sabotage groups,” the ministry asserts.
As Navigator reported, today at 4:30 am Ukrainian security forces stormed Slavyansk. According to eyewitnesses, three helicopters were shot down and one wounded pilot was taken to hospital.
The Ministry of Defense confirms the loss of two helicopters.