A helicopter belonging to a Russian airline was plundered at Kabul airport

At the Kabul airport, unidentified persons plundered a Russian helicopter owned by UTair, informs RIA Novosti with reference to the carrier.

The incident took place last week, August 17th. “Unidentified persons” boarded the helicopter, where they opened a container with onboard rescue equipment, which contained tools and a supply of food, the company said. The intruders also damaged the interior lining of the helicopter’s cabin.

According to a UTair representative, technicians have already put the helicopter in order. On August 22, he and his staff were relocated to a safe location. Baza, without specifying the source, writesthat unknown persons entered the MI-8MTV multipurpose helicopter. Previously, it was used by UN forces in Somalia, and in 2020 it was relocated to Afghanistan.

The robbers, according to Baza, seized the ship’s documentation, fire extinguishers, an emergency ax, body armor, oxygen masks, a portable radio station, and a headrest for the flight attendant’s seat.

Since 1991, UTair has been acting as a UN contractor for the delivery of humanitarian cargo by helicopter, and since 2001, as the largest provider of air transport services for the UN. Previously, the carrier received permission to fly to Kabul from the authorities of Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. August 18 and 22 UTair aircraft committed two flights on which more than 200 UN mission personnel were taken out of Afghanistan.

On August 15, Taliban militants captured Kabul and declared control over Afghanistan. President Ashraf Ghani resigned and left for the UAE. Ordinary Afghans also began to flee the country occupied by the Taliban: a stampede began at the Kabul airport, in which perished at least 20 people.