The Ministry of Defense has denied information about a citizen of Tajikistan in the missing Mi-8

The information that the crew of the Mi-8 helicopter that went missing in August included a citizen of Tajikistan is untrue. stated at the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

“The aviation crews of the Aerospace Forces include only military personnel – citizens of the Russian Federation,” the Ministry of Defense said in a message on Telegram.

In early September, the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate reported the alleged hijacking of a Russian Mi-8 helicopter. It was specified that he was transferred on August 9 to the Kharkov region from the airfield in Kursk. Along with the Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov were two crew members who, according to Ukrainian intelligence, were killed due to resistance.

Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov did not comment on this information. citing, that this is “the prerogative of the Ministry of Defense.” The Ministry of War itself had not previously commented on this information.

Earlier September 15 Telegram channel Baza wrotethat he learned the identities of the pilots who were on the plane. Along with Kuzminov on the plane were allegedly a graduate of the Voronezh Air Force Academy. Zhukovsky and Gagarin Nikita and a graduate of the Syzran Flight School Khurshed, a native of Tajikistan. According to the channel, the location of Nikita and Khurshed is officially unknown. The relatives of the servicemen were not informed about their fate.