Terrorism Has Also Touched Us Such sentiments prevail at the Crimean state aviation enterprise, whose helicopter was shot down in Abkhazia
The Head of the Security Council of the UN presented its condolences to the government of Ukraine and the families of the three Ukrainian citizens, crewmembers of the Mi-8 helicopter, which was downed last Monday at the Kodory Gorge in Abkhazia. As reports Interfax Ukraine, members of the Security Council unanimously and resolutely condemned the act of terrorism against the helicopter of the UN peacemaking mission in Georgia resulting in death of nine persons, and stressed on the need for thorough investigation and calling the culprits to account. “Those brave people died in the name of peace, and they will always be respected for this,” said Ukraine’s permanent representative at the UN Valery Kuchynsky. He also noted that this crime is yet more evidence of the fact that international terrorism has no borders and that “only combined efforts of the international community can extirpate this phenomenon in all its forms and manifestations.”
The Mi-8 helicopter was downed in Abkhazia on October 8. Three crewmembers (all of them Ukrainians), five members of the UN military observers mission, and the interpreter were killed in the accident. The helicopter was rented by Ukrainian Chayka [Seagull] Airlines from Universal-Avia Aviation enterprise and was leased by the UN mission. Among those killed was Laszlo Torok (Hungary), head of the quarters of UN military observers in the Georgian- Abkhazian conflict.
The Day’s correspondent interviewed Viktor TRUSOV, deputy director of Universal-Avia.
The Day: Mr. Trusov, what do you know about the incident? How did it happen?
V. T.: A special task force is studying the circumstances of the tragedy, although signs of a terrorist act are clearly discernible even now. Our Mi-8 helicopter bearing UN mission insignia and flying at a low altitude was shot down by two heat detecting missiles. After the first missile hit the helicopter, the crew attempted to land and save those onboard. But the second missile accomplished what the bandits wanted. Together with diplomats and their interpreter, our enterprise’s finest crew perished.
The Day: Could you tell us about these people?
V. T.: The attack took the lives of crew commander Oleksandr Bielohryvov born in 1959, second pilot Andriy Sherhin born in 1975, and flight engineer Hennady Polezhai born in 1958. All of them left families and children in the Crimea. The helicopter commander had flown 6300 hours, the second pilot 655 hours, and the flight engineer — over 4600 hours. They were a very experienced crew who recently relieved another crew working there. Their bodies will be transported to Simferopol, and the funeral ceremonies will be held here.
Our pilots work shifts, manning aircraft that service the UN mission. They have worked a number of shifts, each of them lasting three to four months. Our colleagues are on the Ukrainian task force investigating the incident. Thus, we expect them to provide detailed first-hand information. So far, I can’t tell you much because I don’t know much.
Our aircraft have been servicing the UN mission for over three years now. Various incidents have occurred during this time. Our aircraft have been under fire, and we viewed this as a serious threat, but it did not go as far as purposeful targeting of helicopters with international missions onboard. This is evidence that terrorism has now touched us. Thus, today no one can be indifferent to the mounting global fight against terrorism.
INCIDENTALLY
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze in a telephone conversation assured President Leonid Kuchma that the crash of the UN mission helicopter in Georgia, which resulted in deaths of three Ukrainian crew members, will be thoroughly investigated. Pres. Shevardnadze offered Pres. Kuchma his condolences on the deaths of Ukrainian citizens in Abkhazia’s Kodorsk Gorge, the department for information and public relations of Ukraine’s Presidential Administration announced. The chiefs-of-state also discussed the state of their nations’ bilateral relations and prospects for strengthening them. Georgian presidential press secretary Kakha Imnadze believes that the accusations made against his country in the aftermath of the tragedy “are provocative and damage Georgia’s sovereignty.” Mr. Imnadze stressed that the helicopter with UN observers onboard was shot down over the territory of breakaway Abkhazia near Russian peacekeeping forces’ posts and Abkhazian militant deployments. In his view, “if those responsible for the incident are found, the blame should be placed directly on them.” The press secretary also emphasized that “one should refrain from making accusations until the investigation of the tragedy is completed.” Previously, Russian Defense Minister Serhiy Ivanov accused the Georgian authorities of being incapable of regulating the situation in Abkhazia’s Kodor Gorge, where large militant bandit formations operate. “Now it is obvious that the Georgian authorities are either unable to control the situation on their territory, or manipulate the terrorists to achieve their own ends,” Mr. Ivanov told journalists.
