Russian Investigative Committee opens criminal case over military helicopter shot down in Armenia
Russian military investigators have opened a criminal case in connection with the Mil Mi-24 helicopter shot down in an Armenian village near the Azerbaijani border on November 9, Interfax reports.
An informed source told Interfax that the investigation was launched on criminal charges of violating flight rules, resulting in the death of a person by negligence (article 351 of the Russian Criminal Code), which is punishable by up to seven years in prison. However, Interfax’s source suggested that the case could be reclassified under more serious criminal charges over the course of the investigation.
The investigation is being conducted by state investigators based at Russia's 102nd Military Base in Gyumri, Armenia.
At the time of writing, reports about the launch of the criminal case had yet to be confirmed officially.
On November 9, a Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter was shot down in the Armenian village of Yeraskh, near the border with Azerbaijan. The military aircraft was accompanying a vehicle convoy headed towards Russia’s military base in Gyumri. Two people died in the crash and a third person was injured. The plane went down about 60 miles from the conflict zone in the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
The Azerbaijani government claimed responsibility for the incident immediately and apologized for downing the Russian aircraft, calling it a “tragic mistake.” Baku also promised to pay compensation.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev promised Russian President Vladimir Putin that Baku would conduct a thorough investigation and punish those responsible for the crash. The Azerbaijani Attorney General’s Office is investigating the incident as a case of criminal negligence inadvertently resulting in the deaths of two or more people.
Several hours after the Russian aircraft was shot down, Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders reached a ceasefire agreement on ending hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, with the help of Russian mediation.