Mi-24 crash: Hero of Ukraine Oleksandr Shemet, who evacuated wounded from besieged Azovstal, killed

The commander of the Mi-24 helicopter crew that crashed while conducting a combat mission on 17 December was a native of the Chernihiv Oblast, Hero of Ukraine Oleksandr Shemet. It was he who carried out the last successful aerial breakthrough to the besieged Azovstal plant in Mariupol in April 2022.

Source: Yurii Shemet, the fallen pilot's brother, in a comment to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne

Details: According to the family, the tragedy occurred in Cherkasy Oblast. The crew received orders to take off to intercept Russian Shahed drones on the evening of 17 December.

The helicopter took off and remained in contact with the command post, but later disappeared from radar. The bodies of four crew members were found at the crash site. There is currently no official conclusion regarding the causes and circumstances of the crash. The identification of the bodies is still ongoing.

Quote: "Later, the helicopter was no longer visible on radar at the command post, which indicated that it had crashed. The deaths have been confirmed. Four bodies were found at the crash site. All crew members were killed. That is now a fact."

Details: Oleksandr Shemet's brother said that early findings point to a collision between the helicopter and a Shahed drone. The situation was complicated by the fact that the drone was likely flying at an extremely low altitude and was not detected by surveillance systems. The aircraft sustained catastrophic damage as a result of the crash.

Quote: "Those who conducted the investigation say they have never seen anything like this before. The helicopter was so badly damaged that it was, essentially, torn apart. The bodies were badly burned. I also do not yet know which specific Shahed hit the helicopter."

Details: Experts are currently decoding data from the flight recorder. Based on early reports, the family rejects versions involving a technical malfunction or pilot error.

Quote: "As my nephew said, a technical failure or pilot error cannot have been the cause of this incident. The flight recorder clearly shows that all systems were operating normally."

Details: Oleksandr Shemet was born in the city of Koriukivka in Chernihiv Oblast but spent most of his life in Lviv Oblast, where he served after graduating from a military academy. He had been involved in combat operations in Ukraine's east since 2015 and defended Kyiv at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.

He was awarded the Cossack Cross (I and II degrees), the Orders of Danylo Halytskyi and Bohdan Khmelnytskyi (III degree). Ukraine's highest state honour, the title Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Golden Star, was awarded to him for a heroic operation in besieged Mariupol on 5 April 2022.

"He flew into occupied Mariupol, delivering ammunition and medical supplies and evacuated the wounded on the return flight. On the way back, they came under heavy fire, but he managed to save the aircraft and the crew and return safely," his brother said.

Oleksandr turned 55 on 13 December. That was the last time the brothers spoke. He is survived by his mother, his wife and two children – a daughter and a son, who has also joined the military, following in his father's footsteps.

Background:

• On 18 December, the press service of the 12th Separate Army Aviation Brigade named after General-Cornet Viktor Pavlenko reported that an Mi-24 helicopter crew had been killed while conducting a combat mission. The brigade described the incident as an irreparable loss for Ukraine's aviation and the country, but did not disclose the names of the fallen or details of the crash.
• The 12th Separate Army Aviation Brigade is based in the city of Novyi Kalyniv in Lviv Oblast. It is directly subordinate to the Command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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