Russian forces suffered a significant setback as two military helicopters were downed in one day.
A Mi-2 helicopter crashed on Saturday, killing all four people on board, the Associated Press (AP) reports—a doctor, and two paramedics—in the Kirov region in a forest near the village of Beleenki, roughly 700 kilometers (435 miles) east of Moscow, according to a statement from Russia’s Emergency Ministry.
Rescuers initially only located three bodies at the site of the crash but later found the fourth, the ministry said.
Russian officials have not confirmed what caused the crash.
The Mi-2 is a small, Soviet-designed helicopter.
Ukrainian servicemen fire from a 122mm artillery cannon towards Russian positions in Kherson region, Ukraine, Sunday Oct. 27, 2024.
Marko Ivkov/AP
A second crash occurred in Crimea’s Kerch Strait amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The helicopter was patrolling the Kerch Bridge, a vital transport route for Russian soldiers and equipment through the occupied Crimea to Ukraine.
The pilot lost control of the aircraft, which fell into the water, according to claims made by the Russian propaganda channel Fighterbomber on Telegram.
As a result of the crash, one crew member has been confirmed dead, while the other remains missing.
It is unknown the model of the second helicopter that crashed; one of the aircraft may have been Russia’s prized Ka-52 ‘Alligator’, according to the Telegram channel Fighterbomber.
Initially, the report stated that the crashed aircraft was a Ka-27 model.
The report was edited on Telegram. Initially, it mentioned that the helicopter model was updated to Ka-52, but later, the author clarified that “the type of helicopter remains uncertain.”
The Kamov Ka-52 is a Russian-made, all-weather, twin-seat attack helicopter, primarily designed for close air support, reconnaissance, and anti-armor missions.
The Ka-27 helicopter is designed for detecting, tracking, and engaging underwater and surface targets.
The Ka-52 “Alligator” is designed to strike enemy infantry, tanks, armored vehicles, and aerial targets. It is equipped with missiles and a 30-mm cannon.
Uniquely, the Ka-52 is the only helicopter in the world with an ejection system. According to estimates from ORYX, Russia has lost at least 61 of these helicopters since the start of the war.
Meanwhile, North Korea has deployed around 10,000 troops to train in Russia, the Pentagon reported on Monday, significantly increasing Washington’s previous estimate of 3,000 from last week.
“We believe that the DPRK has sent around 10,000 soldiers in total to train in eastern Russia that will probably augment Russian forces near Ukraine over the next several weeks,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists, using an abbreviation for North Korea’s official name.
It comes as North Korean soldiers have landed in Kursh to reinforce Vladimir Putin’s troops, according to a top NATO official.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia and that units have been deployed to its Kursk border region.
In response, Kyiv urged Western allies to supply more weapons and military air. Ukraine also called on its partners to allow deep strikes into Russia.
“The deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a threat to both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security,” Rutte told reporters on Monday.
Elina Beketova, democracy fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), told Newsweek: “If Russia substitutes its soldiers in the rear with North Koreans or sends them into high-casualty assaults, it may provide some tactical advantage. The response from Western and democratic nations should be straightforward: equip Ukraine with additional air defense systems and weaponry.”
RUSI’s Associate Fellow Samuel Cranny-Evans told Newsweek that tens of thousands of North Korean troops could “significantly” impact the war effort.
“If they are used as front-line troops and tens of thousands are sent overall, they could be a very significant contribution to Russia’s war effort. If only a few thousand are deployed, then the impact is unlikely to be significant, especially compared with the supply of North Korean ammunition.
Putin visited Pyongyang in June to hold bilateral talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, where they signed a partnership agreement.
It states that the “other party shall provide military and other assistance without delay by all means at its disposal.”
The two leaders held talks before signing the treaty, which pledged to provide military aid to one another if either was attacked.
