1991 Azerbaijani Mil Mi-8 shootdown
 A Mil Mi-8 similar to the aircraft shot down | |
| Shootdown | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 20, 1991 |
| Summary | Shootdown |
| Site | Berdashen (Karakend), Azerbaijan (de jure) Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (de facto) |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Mil Mi-8 |
| Registration | 72 |
| Flight origin | Aghdam |
| Destination | Martuni |
| Fatalities | 22 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On November 20, 1991, an Azerbaijani Mil Mi-8 military helicopter, carrying a peacekeeping mission team consisting of 13 Azerbaijani government officials, two Russian and one Kazakhstani Ministry of Internal Affairs officials, three Azerbaijani journalists and three helicopter crew was shot down amidst heavy fighting near the village of Berdashen, also known as Karakend, in Nagorno-Karabakh.[1][2] All 22 people (19 passengers and three crew) on board were killed in the crash.[3] The incident is known in Azerbaijan as the ''Karakend tragedy''.[4]
Background
In accordance with the
On the eve of the crash, the Armenian side ceased the peace talks with Azerbaijan until Azerbaijan re-opened the natural gas supply to Armenia, which it had cut off on November 4.[5] The team of observers along with representatives of Azerbaijani government were to fly from Aghdam to Martuni due to rising tension in the district.[1]
Shootdown
The helicopter MI-8 with the observation team departed from Aghdam on 20 November 1991 with 22 people on board and was shot down en route with a group of
Various conspiracy theories about the incident have since been in circulation, and are promoted by various political figures in Azerbaijan, who claim that the shootdown was a political assassination. Despite an absence of official investigation evidence, such theories are considered credible by a significant part of the Azerbaijani population.
| Full name | Position | Country |
|---|---|---|
Tofig Ismayilov
|
Secretary of State | Azerbaijan
|
| Ismat Gayibov | Public Prosecutor General
|
Azerbaijan
|
| Mahammad Asadov | Minister of Internal Affairs, State Advisor | Azerbaijan
|
| Zulfi Hajiyev | Deputy Prime Minister | Azerbaijan
|
| Osman Mirzayev | Head of Presidential Administration , journalist
|
Azerbaijan
|
Ali Mustafayev
|
Journalist of Azerbaijani State TV,[11] Azerbaijan | Azerbaijan
|
| Vagif Jafarov | Member of Parliament | Azerbaijan
|
| Vali Mammadov [ru] | Member of Parliament | Azerbaijan
|
| Igor Plavski | Public Prosecutor of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) | Azerbaijan
|
| Saylau Serikov | Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs |  Kazakhstan
|
| Fakhraddin Shahbazov | Cameraman, Azerbaijani State TV | Azerbaijan
|
| Arif Huseynzadeh | Lights technician, Azerbaijani State TV | Azerbaijan
|
| Rafig Mammadov | Aide to Secretary of State | Azerbaijan
|
| Sergey Ivanov | Head of department of National Security Ministry, NKAO | Azerbaijan
|
| Nikolai Zhinkin [ru] | Commandant for Emergency Situations of NKAO | Azerbaijan
|
| Mikhail Lukashov | Motor Vehicle Division, Major General |  Russia
|
| Oleg Kocherev | Lieutenant Colonel of the MVD
|
Russia
|
| Vladimir Kovalyov | Head of Ministry of Internal Affairs of NKAO | Azerbaijan
|
| Gurban Namazaliyev [az] | Deputy Prime Minister of Amelioration and Water Management | Azerbaijan
|
| Vyacheslav Kotov | Commander of helicopter crew | Azerbaijan
|
| Gennadiy Domov | Member of the helicopter crew | Azerbaijan
|
| Dmitry Yarovenko | Member of the helicopter crew | Azerbaijan
|
Investigation
Initial reports by central state agency
The investigation was initiated for clarifying the reasons for the crash. The first version was transferred by
Aftermath
After the public burial of the Azerbaijani victims in Baku on November 22, demonstrations began. The protestors demanded the Supreme Soviet and the chairman of Communist Party of Azerbaijan,
As a result, the Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet called a special session on November 26 requesting the imposition of martial law in the republic, withdrawing cadets and officers of Azerbaijani ethnicity from the Soviet Army and ceasing all negotiations with Armenia.[1]
On November 27, the Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet voted in favour of
See also
External links
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Roman Glebov (1991-11-25). "Республики. В Азербайджане сбит вертолет с VIP на борту" [Republics. A helicopter with VIP on board has been shot down in Azerbaijan.] (in Russian). Kommersant. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
- ISBN 0-7146-4600-8.
- ^ a b "Azerbaijan Association. 17 year passes since "Mi-8" military helicopter was shot in Garakand sky – complete list of the perished people". November 21, 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ^ "Qarakənd faciəsi – 30 il – Xəbərlər – ŞUŞA RAYON Icra Hakimiyyəti". www.shusha-ih.gov.az. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ISBN 978-90-04-17855-7.
- ^ ISBN 0-275-96241-5.
- ^ a b Карабах: хронология конфликта [Karabakh: Chronology of the conflict]. BBC News (in Russian). 2005-08-29. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
- ^ Хронология событий в конфликтных точках СНГ [Chronology of events in conflict spots of CIS] (in Russian). Peacekeeper.ru. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ^ Террористические акты, совершенные на воздушных судах [Terror acts committed on air transport] (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2 May 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ^ "23 years have passed since Armenians shot down military helicopter with Azerbaijani political elite on board". Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- ^ "International Eurasia Press Fund. 5 journalists were killed in 1991". July 31, 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ^ K. Zarbaliyeva (2008-11-19). "Investigation into Crash of Helicopter with Azerbaijani Senior Officials Suspended". Trend News Agency. Archived from the original on 2012-07-15. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
- ^ ISBN 0-275-96241-5.