Internal Affairs Deputy Minister Dies in Plane Crash

Colonel General Leonid Borodych, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, perished in a plane crash Saturday when performing a group flight acrobatic number at the Aerosweet Twenty-First Century international show onboard his YaK-52.

The ministry’s press service reports that several hours before the accident the Militia Colonel General took part in a ceremony of opening a law school (lyceum) for children of law enforcement officers killed or crippled in the line of duty. After presenting awards and greeting the future graduates, Mr. Borodych invited them to attend the air show.

Chaika, the central flying club, told The Day that the YaK-52 is a model specially developed for rookie pilots, and that it is one of the most reliable designs in the field. Thus one of the possible causes of the accident was a mistake by the pilot when performing a barrel roll. Yesterday Deputy Minister Yuri Smirnov head of the Chief Internal Affairs Directorate in Kyiv, told journalists that criminal proceedings are underway in the plane crash case under Article 76 of the Criminal Code supervised by the city’s transport prosecutor’s office.

The technical side of the accident is being investigated by a specially appointed Internal Affairs Directorate committee. On September 18, the committee requested all those in possession of photos or video tapes with the scene of the YaK-15 crash to contribute copies to help the investigation.

Yesterday, Leonid Borodach’s body lay in state at the Club of the Cabinet of Ministers, 7 Instytutska Street.

The Editors and staff of The Day wish to extend heartfelt sympathies to the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased.