Hovhannisyan: Consequences will be painful for Azerbaijani side

Armenia called the downing of the Karabakh air force’s MI-24 helicopter by the Azerbaijani side an unprecedented provocation. “It is an unprecedented provocation that has escalated the situation. The consequences will be very painful for the Azerbaijani side, and Azerbaijan’s military and political leadership will bear all responsibility,” Armenian Defense Ministry’s spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan wrote on Facebook.

According to him, Azerbaijani troops continued firing at the area where the helicopter participating in the drills had crashed so as not to allow anyone to approach the crew members.

“Azerbaijani Defense Ministry’s statement to the effect that the helicopter was shot down when it attacked positions of Azerbaijani troops is nonsensical. Examination of the wreckage will show that there was no combat equipment on board,” Hovhannisyan said.

“Major Sergey Sahakyan was the crew commander. Information will be released about the crew’s fate,” A. Hovhannisyan wrote.

As was reported, a MI-24 helicopter of the Armed Forces of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was shot down by the Azerbaijani side.

The helicopter was making a training flight, according to the website of NKR Defense Ministry.

“A MI-24 helicopter of the NKR Air Force was shot down today in the airspace in the eastern direction of the Karabakh-Azerbaijani border due to a ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani armed forces. The area where the helicopter was shot down is at a very short distance from the Line of Contact. The enemy opened heavy fire from guns of various calibers at the incident site,” NKR Defense Ministry said in a statement.