Crash of two Mi-24s near Rutshuru (2017)

On 27 January 2017, near the town of Rutshuru in North Kivu province, two Mi-24 attack helicopters of the DRC Air Force crashed. The crew of the first consisted of Georgian mercenaries. On the second were Belarusian military specialists. Three more Congolese servicemen were flying with them.

Crash

On 27 January both helicopters were patrolling in the area of the town of Rutshuru. The aim of their mission was to determine the boundaries of the territory occupied by rebels of the M23 movement, which defends the interests of the Tutsi people. As was reported, they were shot down by militants with «Strela» surface-to-air missiles. However, according to Defence.ru, citing the Belgian agency Belga, while performing a reconnaissance flight as a pair, one of the helicopters struck treetops with its main rotor blades in the area of Mount Mikeno at a height of about 500 metres and crashed. The second helicopter, having lost visual contact with the first machine, took steps to search for it, but also crashed. Other sources said that the crash may have been caused by bad weather conditions. Technical malfunctions were also mentioned initially.

The entire Belarusian crew was hospitalised in a medical facility in the city of Goma. They were found by a pair of Denel AH-2 Rooivalk helicopters from South Africa, which were patrolling as part of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo (MONUSCO). The peacekeepers also delivered the injured to hospital. The Georgian pilot was also taken there. His partner was listed as missing for some time, since rains hampered the search. It later emerged that he had been taken prisoner by militants, who set a ransom of 1 million dollars for him. Meanwhile, the rebel leaders claimed that they had not announced a ransom for the prisoner. On 18 June the captured pilot died during a battle between fighters of the group and government troops.

The DR Congo servicemen flying with the Belarusians survived. The one who was with the Georgian crew was taken prisoner by militants and later killed.