Khankala attack
Encyclopedia
2002 Khankala Mi-26 crash occurred on 19 August 2002 when Chechen
rebels with a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile
brought down a Mil Mi-26
helicopter
in a minefield and resulted in the death of 127 Russian troops and air crew. This is the greatest loss of life in the history of helicopter aviation
and one of the deadliest disasters in Russian military history.
rebels with a Russia
n-made Igla shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile
hit an overloaded Mil Mi-26
helicopter, causing it to crash-land in a minefield and burn at the main military base
at Khankala near the capital city
of Grozny
, Chechnya
. A total of 127 Russian Army
troops and crew from the Russian Air Force
base at Mozdok
were killed in the crash.
was declared by the Russian President Vladimir Putin
in connection with the catastrophe, which the media called "the second Kursk
". The separatist news agency Kavkaz Center
described the crash as the "greatest act of sabotage
by Chechen fighters in two years". The crash led to the suspension of the Russian army's aviation commander, Vitaly Pavlov.
responded to the loss of the Mi-26 (as well as two other helicopters that were shot down there in 2002) by destroying an entire residential area
near Khankala in the outskirts of Grozny since it was believed that the surface-to-air missile
s that destroyed the helicopters were fired from one of the many damaged apartment blocks that dotted the area. Some military officials said the Chechens
who were left homeless as a result of the attack were themselves to blame, because they had failed to report that the rebels were preparing attacks from their houses. The Russian Army spokesmen Ilya Shabalkin said that the action was carried out with the goal of preventing rebels from using the area to lay ambush
es close to the Khankala military base. It was also announced that five Chechens "suspected of terrorist
ties" were killed during the operation.
and violating flight regulations. A Chechen who reportedly helped to shoot down the helicopter, a 27-year old Grozny resident named Doku Dzhantemirov, was found guilty of planning and carrying out an act of terror and was sentenced to life imprisonment
for the murder of 127 in April 2004; at his trial, Dzhantemirov maintained that he was not "a terrorist" but "a soldier
of the state of Ichkeria
."
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...
rebels with a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
brought down a 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:...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
in a minefield and resulted in the death of 127 Russian troops and air crew. This is the greatest loss of life in the history of helicopter aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
and one of the deadliest disasters in Russian military history.
Mi-26 downing
On 19 August 2002, ChechenChechnya
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...
rebels with a Russia
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-made Igla shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
hit an overloaded 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:...
helicopter, causing it to crash-land in a minefield and burn at the main military base
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
at Khankala near the capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of Grozny
Grozny
Grozny is the capital city of the Chechen Republic, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 271,596; up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Census. but still only about two-thirds of 399,688 recorded in the 1989...
, Chechnya
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...
. A total of 127 Russian Army
Russian Ground Forces
The Russian Ground Forces are the land forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed from parts of the collapsing Soviet Army in 1992. The formation of these forces posed economic challenges after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and required reforms to professionalize the force...
troops and crew from 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...
base at Mozdok
Mozdok
Mozdok is a town and the administrative center of Mozdoksky District of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania in southern Russia, located on the left shore of the Terek River, north of Vladikavkaz, the republic's capital. The name of the town literally means "dense forest" in the Kabardian language...
were killed in the crash.
Aftermath
A Day of MourningDay of Mourning
The Day of Mourning was a day of protest held by Aboriginal Australians on 26 January 1938, the sesquicentenary of British colonisation of Australia...
was declared by the Russian President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
in connection with the catastrophe, which the media called "the second Kursk
Russian submarine Kursk explosion
On 12 August 2000, the Russian Oscar II class submarine Kursk sank in the Barents Sea after an explosion. The investigation showed that a leak of hydrogen peroxide in a torpedo led to explosion of its fuel, causing the submarine to hit the bottom which in turn triggered the detonation of further...
". The separatist news agency Kavkaz Center
Kavkaz Center
The 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"...
described the crash as the "greatest act of sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
by Chechen fighters in two years". The crash led to the suspension of the Russian army's aviation commander, Vitaly Pavlov.
Reprisals at Khankala
The Russian militaryArmed Forces of the Russian Federation
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are the military services of Russia, established after the break-up of the Soviet Union. On 7 May 1992 Boris Yeltsin signed a decree establishing the Russian Ministry of Defence and placing all Soviet Armed Forces troops on the territory of the RSFSR...
responded to the loss of the Mi-26 (as well as two other helicopters that were shot down there in 2002) by destroying an entire residential area
Residential area
A residential area is a land use in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas.Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single family housing, multi-family residential, or mobile homes. Zoning for residential use may permit...
near Khankala in the outskirts of Grozny since it was believed that the surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
s that destroyed the helicopters were fired from one of the many damaged apartment blocks that dotted the area. Some military officials said the Chechens
Chechen people
Chechens constitute the largest native ethnic group originating in the North Caucasus region. They refer to themselves as Noxçi . Also known as Sadiks , Gargareans, Malkhs...
who were left homeless as a result of the attack were themselves to blame, because they had failed to report that the rebels were preparing attacks from their houses. The Russian Army spokesmen Ilya Shabalkin said that the action was carried out with the goal of preventing rebels from using the area to lay ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
es close to the Khankala military base. It was also announced that five Chechens "suspected of terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
ties" were killed during the operation.
Trials
The helicopter was designed to carry about 80 troops, while the one that was destroyed was actually carrying 147; the commander in charge of the helicopter, Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Kudyakov, was convicted of negligenceNegligence
Negligence is a failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances. The area of tort law known as negligence involves harm caused by carelessness, not intentional harm.According to Jay M...
and violating flight regulations. A Chechen who reportedly helped to shoot down the helicopter, a 27-year old Grozny resident named Doku Dzhantemirov, was found guilty of planning and carrying out an act of terror and was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
for the murder of 127 in April 2004; at his trial, Dzhantemirov maintained that he was not "a terrorist" but "a soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
of the state of Ichkeria
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
The Chechen Republic of Ichkeria is the unrecognized secessionist government of Chechnya. The republic was proclaimed in late 1991 by Dzokhar Dudayev, and fought two devastating wars between separatists and the Russian Federation which denounced secession...
."