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Russian helicopter in Afghanistan lands safely after being attacked

19 October 2012 19:20 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. No Russian citizens were hurt when a helicopter with the Russian crew was attacked from the ground in Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry said Friday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"The Mi-8 helicopter belonging to UTair airline was fired 35 km off the town of Gardez. No one was hurt," the ministry said in a statement on its website.

According to the ministry, the helicopter with seven passengers onboard was on its way from the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad to Gardez. All passengers were the servicemen of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF). There were also 300 kg of cargo onboard.

The Russian three-man crew of the helicopter changed its route and landed in Kabul airport after the incident.

After landing from a 900-meter altitude, the crew found four bullet holes in the helicopter’s hull.

Russia supports ISAF operations and has offered a base in the city of Ulyanovsk for transit of ISAF consignment being withdrawn from Afghanistan.