1991 Azerbaijani Mil Mi-8 shootdown
| Company type | Incident |
|---|---|
| Industry | Military aviation |
| Founded | 1991-11-20 |
| Fate | Helicopter shot down |
| Headquarters | Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast , Azerbaijan |
Area served | Nagorno-Karabakh region |
Template:Infobox Aircraft accident
On November 20, 1991, a military Mil Mi-8 helicopter from Azerbaijan, transporting a peacekeeping delegation composed of 13 Azerbaijani officials, two representatives from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, one official from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, three Azerbaijani journalists, and a crew of three, was shot down during intense combat near the village of Berdashen (also known as Karakend) within Nagorno-Karabakh.[1][2] The crash resulted in the deaths of all 22 occupants aboard, including 19 passengers and three crew members.[3] This event is referred to in Azerbaijan as the ''Karakend tragedy''.[4]
Background
Following the Zheleznovodsk communique, brokered by Boris Yeltsin and Nursultan Nazarbayev in the Russian city of Zheleznovodsk, which aimed at a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a series of diplomatic visits known as shuttle diplomacy took place in September 1991. As part of this effort, Russian and Kazakhstani officials were assigned to the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) to conduct an observation mission.
Just prior to the helicopter incident, Armenian representatives halted peace negotiations with Azerbaijan until the latter reinstated the natural gas supply to Armenia—a provision that had been cut off by Azerbaijan on November 4.[5] Due to escalating tensions in the region, this group of observers and Azerbaijani government officials planned to travel by air from Aghdam to Martuni.[1]
Shootdown
On 20 November 1991, an MI-8 helicopter carrying an observation team took off from Aghdam with 22 individuals aboard. During its flight, it was targeted and destroyed by a combination of ZSU-23-4 Shilka anti-aircraft systems and SA-6 surface-to-air missiles, resulting in the loss of all passengers.[6] This incident abruptly halted the peace negotiations that were underway at the time.[7]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Numerous conspiracy theories have emerged regarding this event, frequently promoted by Azerbaijani political figures who assert that the downing was a deliberate political assassination. Although no formal investigation has produced conclusive evidence to support these claims, a substantial portion of Azerbaijan's population regards these theories as plausible.
- Victims List[3]Cite error: The opening
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Investigation
Initial statements from the central state agency TASS suggested that the helicopter encountered fog and collided with a hill. On November 21, the chairman of the crash inquiry committee announced on television that the helicopter had been targeted by heavy caliber weaponry, and that both weapons and video equipment were taken from the crash site.[1] Later that evening at 6:30 PM, Vyacheslav Ponomarev, deputy Chief of Command of the Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs of the USSR, departed for Aghdam. Officials from the Interior Ministry declared their intention to maintain internal troop deployments in the area due to the intensifying conflict. The investigation committee was also tasked with deciding on burial arrangements for the victims.[1] Nevertheless, as Armenian militants soon seized control of the crash location, the investigation was halted and no charges were brought forward.[8]
The inquiry was launched to clarify the circumstances surrounding the crash. The initial explanation, conveyed by TASS citing the commander’s special zone in NKAO, stated that the helicopter exploded after striking a rock amid fog.[1] However, subsequent investigations revealed perforations in the fuselage indicative of a rocket explosion.[9] Adil Agayev, Chairman of the Investigation Commission, confirmed that ground-based large-caliber weapons had shot down the helicopter and that both weapons and video devices were removed from the crash scene.[1] Although Armenians were immediately blamed, they denied any responsibility.[9] In response to Agayev’s claims, Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh deputies in the USSR—including Zori Balayan, Victor Hambardzumyan, Henrik Igityan, and Sos Sargsyan—accused Central television of bias and suggested Armenians were not involved in the incident.[1] According to American analyst Michael P. Croissant, evidence pointed toward an Armenian rocket attack.[6]
Aftermath
Following the public funeral held in Baku on November 22 for Azerbaijani victims, protests erupted. Demonstrators called upon the Supreme Soviet and Communist Party leader of Azerbaijan, Ayaz Mutalibov, either to assert control over Karabakh or resign from their positions.
Consequently, on November 26, the Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet convened an extraordinary session during which it demanded martial law be declared within the republic, called for withdrawal of Azerbaijani cadets and officers from the Soviet Army, and halted all negotiations with Armenia.[1]
On November 27, the Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet approved legislation to terminate NKAO’s autonomous status and imposed direct governance over it. The body also officially restored Stepanakert’s former name, Khankendi, and reorganized administrative divisions of Nagorno-Karabakh’s rayons accordingly.[6][7]
See also
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External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Roman Glebov (1991-11-25). "Республики. В Азербайджане сбит вертолет с VIP на борту" [Republics. A helicopter with VIP on board has been shot down in Azerbaijan.] (in русский). Kommersant. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
- ↑ Menashri, David (1998). Central Asia Meets Middle East. London, Great Britain: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd. p. 155. ISBN 0-7146-4600-8.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Azerbaijan Association. 17 year passes since "Mi-8" military helicopter was shot in Garakand sky – complete list of the perished people". November 21, 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ↑ "Qarakənd faciəsi – 30 il – Xəbərlər – ŞUŞA RAYON Icra Hakimiyyəti". www.shusha-ih.gov.az. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ↑ Eichensehr, Kristen; Reisman, W.Michael (1998). Stopping Wars and Making Peace: Studies in International Intervention. Leiden, The Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 55. ISBN 978-90-04-17855-7.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedBBC - ↑ K. Zarbaliyeva (2008-11-19). "Investigation into Crash of Helicopter with Azerbaijani Senior Officials Suspended". Trend News Agency. Archived from the original on 2012-07-15. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Croissant, Michael P. (1998). The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict: causes and implications. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. p. 55. ISBN 0-275-96241-5.
Template:Aviation incidents and accidents in 1991 Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in Azerbaijan Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in the Soviet Union in the 1980s and 1990s Template:Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict 40°23′N 49°50′E / 40.383°N 49.833°E
- 1991 in Azerbaijan
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- Accidents and incidents involving the Mil Mi-8
- 20th-century aircraft shootdown incidents
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 1991
- Aviation accidents and incidents in Azerbaijan
- Aviation accidents and incidents in the Soviet Union
- Military operations of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War
- November 1991 in Asia
- Aircraft shootdown incidents in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict