2001 Grozny Mi-8 crash
| Company type | Military incident |
|---|---|
| Industry | Military aviation |
| Founded | September 17, 2001 |
| Fate | Helicopter shot down |
| Headquarters | Grozny , Russia (Chechnya) |
2001 Grozny Mil Mi-8 Incident
The 2001 Grozny Mil Mi-8 incident in Chechnya resulted in the deaths of 13 Russian military personnel, predominantly high-ranking officers, including two generals.
On September 17, 2001, a surface-to-air missile launched by a specialized Chechen unit targeting Russian leadership struck down a VIP Mil Mi-8 helicopter above Grozny. Among those killed were Major-General Anatoly Pozdnyakov, a member of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Major-General Pavel Varfolomeyev, deputy chief of staff at the Ministry of Defence, eight Colonels—Igor Abramov, Igor Khakhalkin, Yuri Makhov, Vladimir Smolennikov, Sergei Toryanik, Nikolai Lyubimsky, Igor Tribuntsov, and Vladimir Talayev—as well as three crew members.
In 2005, four individuals affiliated with the "Ichkeria defense" group were convicted for their involvement in downing the aircraft.
An alternative perspective, presented by journalist Anna Politkovskaya, suggests that corrupt elements within Russian forces were responsible for shooting down the helicopter. Politkovskaya described the situation as follows:
The city was placed under strict lockdown following a series of unusual incidents. Movement between districts was heavily restricted, making it nearly impossible to leave Grozny on foot. On September 17, a helicopter transporting a commission led by Major-General Anatoly Pozdnyakov from the General Staff in Moscow was shot down directly over the city. The general was engaged in an unprecedented military task in Chechnya. Just an hour before the crash, he informed me that his commission’s mission was to collect evidence of crimes committed by military personnel, analyze and organize this information, and then submit it to the president. This had never been attempted before. The helicopter was shot down almost exactly above the city center as it departed Grozny. All commission members perished along with the collected materials since they were en route to Khankala airbase to catch a flight back to Moscow.
References
External links
- Helicopter Crash in Chechnya Claims Russian Officers' Lives
- Leading Russian Figures Die in Chechnya Helicopter Accident
Template:Aviation incidents and accidents in 2001 Template:Aviation accidents and incidents in Russia in the 2000s 43°24′N 45°43′E / 43.400°N 45.717°E