A Russian Mi-28 helicopter has crashed in the Kaluga region, according to Governor Vladislav Shapsha.
The incident, which occurred during a scheduled flight, resulted in the loss of the helicopter’s crew.
Russian rescue teams are currently on-site, assessing the situation.
Initial reports from the Ministry of Defense suggest that the crash was caused by a technical malfunction. The Ministry confirmed, “The Mi-28 helicopter was performing a routine flight. Unfortunately, the crew did not survive. Preliminary investigations indicate a technical failure as the cause of the crash.” The Ministry also noted that there were no damages reported on the ground.
This incident follows a similar tragedy on May 12 of the previous year, when another Mi-28 helicopter crashed in the Dzhankoy district of Crimea during a scheduled training flight. Both pilots were killed in that crash, which the Ministry of Defense initially attributed to a training accident. However, subsequent information revealed that the helicopter had been accidentally shot down by Russian air defense forces during an attack by Ukrainian drones.
The Mi-28, also known as the “Havoc,” is a Russian all-weather, day-night, military tandem, two-seat anti-armor attack helicopter. It has been in service since the late 1980s and is designed to carry out a range of military missions, including search and destroy operations against armored vehicles, low-speed air targets such as drones, and personnel.