Russian MI-24 crew commemorated in Armenia 

ArmInfo.  On the fifth anniversary of the commemoration, representatives of the Russian diplomatic corps, Russian military personnel, and members of the Young Army paid their respects at the "Hill of Memory" memorial  complex in the Armenian village of Yeraskh (Ararat Region), Armenia.  Representatives of the MIR Humanitarian Foundation laid wreaths and  flowers at the busts of Major Yuri Ishchuk and Senior Lieutenant  Roman Fedina.

The names of the crew of the Russian Mi-24 attack helicopter shot  down by an Azerbaijani missile system on November 9, 2020, in the  village of Yeraskh, the final day of the 44-day war in the Karabakh  conflict zone, will forever be inscribed in the history of the  Erebuni Air Base of the Southern Military District, stationed in  Armenia. In his speech, Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin  noted that on this day five years ago, following intense  negotiations, the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan signed a  Statement on a complete ceasefire and all military actions in the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, stopping the bloodshed and launching  a series of measures to restore peace in the region. Their  implementation was paid for, among other things, by the lives of  Russian servicemen, whose heroism will never be forgotten.  He added  that servicemen Yuri Ishchuk and Roman Fedina gave their lives in the  line of duty.

"The loss of historical memory leads to new tragedies. Today, we  honor the memory of our fallen comrades, true professionals whose  lives were inextricably linked to the skies. They were not only  pilots but also heroes, whose courage and dedication saved lives and  ensured flight safety. Their courage and heroism will remain forever  in our hearts. We will remember them not as those who died, but as  those who forever remain in the skies. But we will forget nothing-not  our plane shot down in Syria, nor our ambassador killed in Turkey.  And we will not forgive the officers who died in the helicopter,"  said Andranik Nikoghosyan, Chairman of the Board of the International  Humanitarian Foundation "MIR."

On September 27, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces initiated a large-scale  military aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh. Hostilities continued  until November 9, 2020. On November 9, at approximately 6:30 PM,  while escorting a convoy of the 102nd Russian Military Base in the  Republic of Armenia, a Russian Mi-24 helicopter was hit by a MANPADS  in the airspace near the Armenian village of Yeraskh, close to the  border of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (Republic of  Azerbaijan). As a result of the missile strike, the helicopter lost  control and crashed in a mountainous area in Armenia. Two crew  members were killed, and one was evacuated to the base airfield with  moderate injuries. That evening, November 9, 2020, a trilateral  statement was signed by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and  Armenia on a ceasefire in the Karabakh conflict zone. The Azerbaijani  Foreign Ministry stated that the Mi-24 was "accidentally shot down"  by Azerbaijani forces over Armenian territory.