ORYOL, May 23. /TASS/. The crew of the Mi-8 helicopter that tragically crashed in the Oryol Region heroically steered the aircraft away from residential areas, ultimately sacrificing their own lives to protect those on the ground, regional governor Andrey Klychkov announced on his Telegram channel.
"The crew, at the cost of their own lives, diverted the falling helicopter away from homes. Their heroism will never be forgotten," he wrote.
Klychkov said that the incident occurred in a deserted area 1.5 km away from the village of Naryshkino. None of the residents of the Uritsky district were injured. There was no damage. The emergency response center for eliminating the consequences of the incident is working on the territory of the municipality.
"At present, there are no risks, the situation is under control. The site of the incident is cordoned off, the necessary checks are being carried out," Klychkov wrote.
The press service of the Moscow Military District has told TASS the Mi-8 helicopter crashed while performing a routine flight. The crew died. The preliminary cause of the crash is a technical malfunction. A panel of inquiry of the Russian Aerospace Force flew to the crash.