The military department continues to refute reports of the incident, but these statements sound unconvincing.
The Russian media continue to discuss the Alligator during the Zapad-2017 exercises at the Luga training ground in the Leningrad region. According to the videos that appeared on the Web, on September 16, a helicopter accidentally fired a rocket salvo at the audience.
According to unofficial data, the cause of the emergency was a technical failure. To investigate the situation, a commission was created, which included representatives of the Russian Aerospace Forces and specialists from the Russian Helicopters holding.
What was it?
On Tuesday, September 19, a message appeared on the city news portal of Yekaterinburg that an Alligator accidentally fired at a group of spectators at the Luga training ground. The K-52 was reported to have fired two rockets. As a result of the shelling, several cars burned down, and two people were seriously injured.
Informed sources reported that the launch of the missiles occurred spontaneously, after the pilot turned on the control circuit of the onboard weapons.
A little later, another video, made by the helicopter's on-board camera from the Alligator's cockpit, got into the network.
A photograph of the explanatory note of the pilots was also published. “On September 16, 2017, a pair of Lieutenant Colonel Smakhtin A. V. (led senior lieutenant Volchkov A. S.) took off from the air. Pushkin at 14:00, flight to the Luga training ground according to Ex. 456 KBP AA-2012 "test flight of a pair to perform fire missions." At 14:47 Moscow time, after receiving permission from the RP of the test site, when performing the third approach on the combat course H=50 V=200 km/h, when the main switch was turned on, the NAR S-8 room spontaneously descended. slave pair. The crew commander, Senior Lieutenant Volchkov A.S. Reported to the RP of the landfill, stopped the task, completed it on the air. Pushkin landing without consequences. On the ground, 3 people were slightly injured and 2 cars were damaged,” the text of the document says.
"Provocation and Stupidity"
The Ministry of Defense categorically refused to acknowledge the fact of the incident. The press service of the Western Military District stated that on September 18 there were no air accidents during the exercises. "All messages in in social networks about "volleys at the crowd of journalists", "a large number of seriously wounded" - a deliberate provocation or someone's personal stupidity," the ministry said.
Commenting on the publication of the videos, the military stated that they were made in a different period. “The guidance system of one of the helicopters made an erroneous target acquisition. As a result of a hit by an unguided rocket, one of the trucks without people was damaged, ”the representatives of the Ministry of Defense explained.
Meanwhile, observers noted, it follows from the published explanatory note of the pilots that “another period” is September 16th. The same information was confirmed to Kommersant by an informed source in the military department.
According to an informant close to General Staff Sun, the emergency had no effect on the course of the exercises. The day after the incident, the Mi-28N and Ka-52 attack helicopters worked out the tasks of reconnaissance and launching missile strikes against ground targets and covering ground troops from the air, and two days after the shelling of the Zapad-2017 exercise, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited.
Sources of RBC reported that three people were injured as a result of the shelling; however, they are all military personnel, not journalists. According to them, an army van and an armored car were hit by unguided missiles.
At the same time, commentators noted that the footage of the video shows the legs of a man dressed in jeans, which are not part of the uniform of Russian military personnel. Civilian vehicles are also visible. The person who happened to be closest to the place of the explosion of ammunition also does not look like a soldier.
The incident occurred at the Russian training ground Luzhsky - this is in the Leningrad region. Yesterday, September 18, Vladimir Putin came there to observe the exercises. Two helicopters accidentally fired missiles at the audience!
It is not known exactly when the incident took place. However, from the press service of the Western Military District, it follows that on September 17, the crews of the Mi-28N and Ka-52 attack helicopters of the army aviation "performed the tasks of aerial reconnaissance, launching a missile attack on ground targets and covering the ground group of troops from the air."
According to the assumption of the portal, the incident occurred in the morning on the very day when Putin arrived at the training ground. The airstrike also burned down two cars. And the victims are most likely journalists. According to the source of the publication, the helicopters were flying to the target when the incident occurred:
There were 500 meters left, according to the instructions on the combat path, the weapons chains were turned on, they turned on, but something went short there, and the missiles went off by themselves. Due to the large spread of fragments, at least two cars burned down, two people were seriously injured. Most likely, journalists suffered, - an informed source told 66.ru.
During Zapad 2017 exercises, a helicopter hit spectators with missiles. Frame youtube.com. Photo: video frame "Fontanka".
At the Zapad-2017 exercises, a combat helicopter fired at a crowd of spectators. At the next stage of the Russian-Belarusian military exercises Zapad-2017, an emergency happened: an involuntary launch occurred at the Luzhsky training ground near St. Petersburg ...
A pair of lieutenant colonel Smakhtin and senior lieutenant Volchkov took off from the Pushkinsky airfield at 14.00, the report says. They flew to the Luzhsky training ground "to perform a test flight of a pair to perform fire missions." - When performing the third run on the combat course, at a height of 50 meters and a speed of 200 km / h, when the main switch was turned on, spontaneous descent of unguided aircraft missiles occurred. Three people were injured on the ground and two cars were damaged.
Several videos filmed by various eyewitnesses from the scene show that there were many people in camouflage and several people in civilian clothes around the epicenter of the strike. Military equipment is visible, as well as cars with ordinary civilian license plates. Judging by the video, the Kamaz of signalmen suffered the most - one of the missiles actually hit him directly. The Niva with military numbers also suffered - its windows were broken.
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that during the Zapad-2017 exercises, one of the helicopters accidentally fired an unguided missile. The department denied that anyone was hurt as a result. About when exactly this incident happened, the Ministry of Defense does not report.
The guidance system of one of the helicopters made an erroneous target acquisition. As a result of an unguided missile hit, one of the trucks without people was damaged, the press service of the Western Military District said. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense called "a deliberate provocation or someone's personal stupidity" statements that the helicopter fired a salvo "on a crowd of journalists."
The Belarusian Ministry of Defense reported that Belarusian military personnel do not take part in the exercises on the territory of Russia.
HELP "KP"
The Ka-52 "Alligator" is a new generation Russian reconnaissance and attack helicopter. The rotorcraft is capable of hitting armored and unarmored vehicles, manpower and air targets on the battlefield.
The Ministry of Defense denied the veracity of reports that several people were injured as a result of an accidental rocket fire from a Russian Ka-52 reconnaissance and attack helicopter during the West-2017 phase of the military exercises at the Luzhsky training ground near St. Petersburg.
“The guidance system of one of the helicopters made an erroneous target acquisition. As a result of an unguided missile hit, one of the trucks without people was damaged, ”the press service of the Western Military District said.
At the same time, the representative of the Western Military District emphasized that the video recording, which recorded the shot, was published earlier on the Internet, was made “in a different period of time, when the crews of army aviation helicopters were practicing an exercise to defeat ground targets as part of a tactical flight exercise.” According to him, on September 18, "there were no incidents related to the work of army aviation."
According to Fontanka.Ru, on the morning of September 19, several videos from the exercises that have been held at the training ground near Luga since yesterday were posted on the Internet. The footage shows how an unauthorized closure of the firing circuit occurred at a military helicopter, that is, it fired at the wrong target.
Three shells hit the area where military equipment was located and spontaneous parking of both military and civilian vehicles was formed. Two military vehicles - a truck and a passenger car - definitely suffered from the blast wave. They also say that a person was shell-shocked by the blast wave.
Military investigators are now investigating the incident. It is possible that a case will be initiated under the article on violation of the safety rules for the use of military-technical means. At the same time, the 66.Ru resource reported that during the emergency, two people received a shell shock.
“They flew at the target, there were 500 meters left, according to the instructions on the combat path, the weapons chains were turned on, they turned on, but something went short there, and the missiles went off by themselves. The fragments have a large spread, at least two cars burned down, two people were seriously injured, now they are in the hospital. It was training before some show. Most likely, journalists suffered,” said an informed source.
After the news spread on the Web, journalists asked the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov about what had happened. He was also asked the question because Russian leader Vladimir Putin arrived at the test site around the same time. The representative of the head of state declined to comment on the incident.
“This question should be asked to the Ministry of Defense, and not to the presidential administration,” he said.
Professional pilot Vitaly Sokolovsky explained that such unintentional shots at third-party targets happen to military equipment in all countries of the world, including during exercises, NSN reports.
“This is a technique, and the technique is complex. Naturally, she may have failures. In history, there have been unauthorized shots on military aircraft. And here, in Russia, and abroad.
It's probably either a short circuit or something wrong with the weapon. It is also possible that the pilot has unintentionally pressed the PTT or given the command to launch. This should be sorted out by a competent commission, which, of course, will be assembled, ”he stressed.
Last week, a US soldier was killed in an incident at the Fort Bragg military base, which is located in North Carolina. Alexander Dalida, a 32-year-old native of Massachusetts, died. In addition, seven other servicemen received various injuries.
On September 7, during an exercise at a military training ground in the Leningrad Region, an explosion occurred during scheduled firing from a tank.
“One of the shells deviated from the trajectory when it touched the ground (ricochet) and exploded in the immediate vicinity of the shelter, in which there were six servicemen of the engineering support group,” the ZVO press service said.
As a result of the incident, one soldier was killed and five others were injured. All the victims were taken to medical facilities, they are being treated. A ZVO commission is working at the site of the explosion.
The Ministry of Defense confirmed the erroneous launch of missiles from a combat helicopter, but denied the existence of casualties.
During the Russian-Belarusian military exercises "West-2017" near St. Petersburg, a helicopter accidentally fired rockets at spectators who were near the Luzhsky training ground, the portal 66.ru reports.
According to the interlocutor of the publication, the incident occurred the day before, but exact date When the incident happened is unknown. The source of the portal suggested that the launch of the air-to-ground missile from the Ka-52 helicopter happened by accident.
“They flew at the target, there were 500 meters left, according to the instructions on the combat path, the weapons chains were turned on, they turned on, but something went short there, and the missiles went off by themselves. The fragments have a large spread, at least two cars burned down, two people were seriously injured, now they are in the hospital. It was training before some show. Most likely, journalists suffered,” the source told 66.ru.
The day before, on September 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Luga training ground in the Leningrad Region.
The exercises "West-2017" on September 14 and take place at the training grounds in Belarus, as well as in Leningrad, Pskov and Kaliningrad regions Russia. More than 12 thousand military personnel take part in them. During the exercises, the troops will have to work out tactical episodes with live firing, extensive use of forces and means of aviation and air defense forces.
According to the scenario of the exercises, the troops of Russia and Belarus oppose a coalition of fictional Western countries Veishnoria, Vesbaria and Lubenia, who plan to destabilize the situation on the territory of Belarus.
