2007 Shatoy Mi-8 crash
Encyclopedia
2007 Shatoy Mi-8 crash crash happened on April 27, 2007, when a Russia
n military Mil Mi-8
helicopter carrying special forces
and officers
crashed in southern Chechen
mountains, killing all 20 people aboard.
The incident is presently the largest officially acknowledged loss of life for federal troops in Chechnya in 2007 and the worst Russian military aircraft disaster since August 2002, when an enormous Mil Mi-26
transport helicopter packed with troops crashed into a minefield after being hit by a missile, killing 127 soldiers.
attack helicopter
s which lifted off from the helipad
to the east of the city of Gudermes
. It was carrying 15 GRU
Spetsnaz
Rostov
Brigade recon
commandos and two high-ranking Russian military officers from the main Russian military base in Chechnya at Khankala
.
Russian officials initially claimed the helicopter was downed by small arms
fire from Chechen separatists. Chechen authorities cited mechanical fault as a cause of the crash. A special commission tasked with investigating the crash eventually determined that the most likely cause was human error
.
The names of the Russian Air Force
pilots were revealed as air wing commander Lieutenant Colonel
Sergei Korolev, navigator Captain Vyacheslav Kudryashov, and mechanic Senior Lieutenant
Nikolai Sidygalov. The names of other victims of the crash were not released, though the GRU team commander was identified as "Captain Vitaly Kh.").
, were to serve as liaison officer
s to ethnic Chechen troops who had, according to federal sources, spotted a group of up to 15 Chechen separatists near the southern village of Shatoy
. These allied Chechens had reportedly asked for federal assistance and air support
. According to the separatist account, the pro-Russian troops were ambushed by separatist fighters who inflicted heavy losses on them.
On April 28, 2007, Russian officials asserted that at least three rebels were killed during a ground operation near the crash site, while Russian media reported five soldiers died in the fighting (among them two MVD
servicemen). At the same the separatists, reportedly led by Dokka Umarov and Ramzan Saluyev, claimed to have killed 30-50 soldiers on the ground and 20-30 in the air. They also said they lost two fighters killed and several wounded.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n military Mil Mi-8
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
helicopter carrying special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
and officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
crashed in southern Chechen
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
mountains, killing all 20 people aboard.
The incident is presently the largest officially acknowledged loss of life for federal troops in Chechnya in 2007 and the worst Russian military aircraft disaster since August 2002, when an enormous Mil Mi-26
Mil Mi-26
The Mil Mi-26 is a Soviet/Russian heavy transport helicopter. In service with civilian and military operators, it is the largest and most powerful helicopter ever to have gone into production.-Design and development:...
transport helicopter packed with troops crashed into a minefield after being hit by a missile, killing 127 soldiers.
Crash
The crashed helicopter was one of three Mi-8 transports and two Mil Mi-24Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
attack helicopter
Attack helicopter
An attack helicopter is a military helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the capability of engaging targets on the ground, such as enemy infantry and armored vehicles...
s which lifted off from the helipad
Helipad
Helipad is a common abbreviation for helicopter landing pad, a landing area for helicopters. While helicopters are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard surface away from obstacles where a helicopter can safely...
to the east of the city of Gudermes
Gudermes
Gudermes is a town in the Chechen Republic, Russia, located on the Sunzha River east of Grozny. Population: 32,000 .Gudermes had a rural locality status until 1941. Later, it became a railroad junction between Rostov-on-Don, Baku, Astrakhan, and Mozdok. Gudermes is home for oil extraction...
. It was carrying 15 GRU
GRU
GRU or Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye is the foreign military intelligence directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation...
Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz, Specnaz tr: Voyska specialnogo naznacheniya; ) is an umbrella term for any special forces in Russian, literally "force of special purpose"...
Rostov
Rostov
Rostov is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population:...
Brigade recon
Recon
Recon may refer to:*Re-Con, alias of Mike Di Scala, a UK dance music producer*RECON , the River, Estuary and Coastal Observing Network*Reconnaissance, a military term for gathering information...
commandos and two high-ranking Russian military officers from the main Russian military base in Chechnya at Khankala
Khankala
Khankala is a settlement in Groznensky District of the Chechen Republic, Russia, located to the east of Grozny, the republic's capital. Population:...
.
Russian officials initially claimed the helicopter was downed by small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
fire from Chechen separatists. Chechen authorities cited mechanical fault as a cause of the crash. A special commission tasked with investigating the crash eventually determined that the most likely cause was human error
Human Error
Human Error is the stage name of Rafał Kuczynski , a polish electronic musician, working mostly in the ambient music genre, produced only with a computer...
.
The names of the Russian Air Force
Russian Air Force
The Russian Air Force is the air force of Russian Military. It is currently under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin. The Russian Navy has its own air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno Morskogo Flota , or AV-MF).The Air Force was formed from...
pilots were revealed as air wing commander Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Sergei Korolev, navigator Captain Vyacheslav Kudryashov, and mechanic Senior Lieutenant
Senior lieutenant
Senior lieutenant is a military grade between a lieutenant and a captain. Sometimes senior lieutenant is called a first lieutenant....
Nikolai Sidygalov. The names of other victims of the crash were not released, though the GRU team commander was identified as "Captain Vitaly Kh.").
Background
Transported officers, a Lieutenant Colonel and a MajorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, were to serve as liaison officer
Liaison officer
A liaison officer or LNO is a person that liaises between two organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities. Generally, they are used to achieve the best utilization of resources or employment of services of one organization by another. In the military, liaison officers may...
s to ethnic Chechen troops who had, according to federal sources, spotted a group of up to 15 Chechen separatists near the southern village of Shatoy
Shatoy
Shatoy or Shatoi is a village in the Chechen Republic, Russia. It is the administrative center of Shatoysky District. Population: 1,771 . It is the home village of underground rebel President Doku Umarov. Geographical location: ....
. These allied Chechens had reportedly asked for federal assistance and air support
Air Support
Air Support is a 1992 computer game for the Amiga and Atari ST. It is a top-down strategy game, with a first-person mode available for special missions. The game takes place during a retrofuturistic 21st century where all wars are fought in virtual reality. The game was given mostly positive...
. According to the separatist account, the pro-Russian troops were ambushed by separatist fighters who inflicted heavy losses on them.
On April 28, 2007, Russian officials asserted that at least three rebels were killed during a ground operation near the crash site, while Russian media reported five soldiers died in the fighting (among them two MVD
Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs
The Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del is the interior ministry of Russia. Its predecessor was founded in 1802 by Alexander I in Imperial Russia...
servicemen). At the same the separatists, reportedly led by Dokka Umarov and Ramzan Saluyev, claimed to have killed 30-50 soldiers on the ground and 20-30 in the air. They also said they lost two fighters killed and several wounded.
External links
- Military Helicopter Downed: '17 Dead', Sky NewsSky NewsSky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
, April 27, 2007 - Russian helicopter is 'shot down', BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 27 April 2007 - Chechen rebels 'down helicopter', Al-Jazeera, April 27, 2007
- Helicopter shot down in Chechnya kills 18, ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, April 27, 2007 - Fighting continues near the village of Aslambek Sheripov, Kavkaz CenterKavkaz CenterThe Kavkaz Center is a privately run website by pro-Chechen which aims to be "a Chechen internet agency which is independent, international and Islamic" that "does not represent the viewpoint of any state structures"...
, 27 April 2007 - Chopper Goes Down in Southern Chechnya, The Jamestown FoundationThe Jamestown FoundationThe Jamestown Foundation is a Washington, D.C.-based institute for research and analysis, founded in 1984 as a platform to support Soviet dissidents. Today its stated mission is to "inform and educate" policy makers about events and trends, which it regards as being of current "strategic"...
, May 3, 2007