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Russian Officer Torches $6M Mi-8 Helicopter in “Trash-Burning” Mishap at Airbase
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
A Russian National Guard officer inadvertently destroyed a Mi-8AMTSh helicopter after ordering the burning of waste near an airfield in Novocherkassk, Kommersant reported.
According to the Russian outlet, the incident occurred last year when the officer instructed a subordinate to burn garbage in a pit despite explicit prohibitions from command and heightened fire risk.
The flames spread rapidly through dry grass and reached an area where aviation equipment was parked.
The fire consumed a Mi-8 helicopter containing fuel, rescue equipment, parachutes, and pyrotechnic supplies. The total damage to the 685th Separate Special-Purpose Aviation Regiment of the National Guard was estimated at 574 million rubles.
A military investigation initially charged the officer, identified as Nikolai Novosyolov, with abuse of power under Article 286 of the Russian Criminal Code. The Novocherkassk Garrison Court later reclassified the case as negligence under Article 293, citing “especially large-scale material damage.”
Kommersant reported that Novosyolov fully admitted guilt. The court sentenced him to a fine of 350,000 rubles and barred him from holding supervisory positions for one year. A civil claim by the aviation unit was partially satisfied, with the officer ordered to pay five million rubles in compensation.
The regiment appealed the ruling, demanding full reimbursement of the losses. However, the Southern District Military Court upheld the original verdict, noting that with a monthly income of about 37,000 rubles, the officer would be unable to repay the total cost of the destroyed helicopter.
Earlier, in September 2024, two schoolchildren set fire to a Mi-8 helicopter at Noyabrsk Airport in Russia’s Tyumen region. The teenagers, aged 13 and 14, reportedly received 5 million rubles for the act via Telegram and accessed the airfield through a hole in the fence. The helicopter was completely destroyed in the blaze, with only the tail section remaining intact.
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