Mi-8 combat helicopter used against peaceful paraplanners

A Mi-8 helicopter was scrambled yesterday to fly to Borovaya airfield.

As it was found out later, it was done in vain.

The website “Military and Political Review” published the unofficial information about the incident with a link to a source  in the Ministry of Defence. The article says “an aircraft classified as a powered parachute appeared illegally over Borovaya airfield”. The articles states with a link to the military forces that the PPC pilots didn't have the necessary flight permits provided for by provision 95.1 of ruling No. 1471 “On the Rules of Using the Air Space of the Republic of Belarus” issued by the Council of Ministers of Belarus on November 4, 2006. A decision was taken to send an alert crew of Mi-8 helicopter to force the aircraft to land. Six persons, all citizens of Belarus, were handed over to the police department of Baraulyany.

Unlike the Belarusian air defence forces, the “ground” police were not so strict in relation to the pilots.

“The inquiry took less than an our for the Baraulyany police,” spokesman for the Minsk regional police department Alyaksandr Danilchanka said to a TUT.BY correspondent. “All detainees were set free, their case was sent to the archive. The detained aviators were right-minded citizens. They had all necessary documents and flight permits. The aircraft was officially registered in Belarus. The military forces probably decided to reduce possible risks.

There are no possibilities to receive an official comment from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Defence: no one answered the phone since this morning till publication of this article.