The collapse of the MI-8 helicopter in the Sudan: among the dead, three Russians. The helicopter can shoot down insurgents

As a result of the disaster MI-8 helicopter in Sudan killed three citizens of Russia. "On 29 September in the Sudanese province of South Darfur crashed helicopter MI-8 - the report said the Russian Foreign Ministry, which cites news agency. - As a result of the tragedy, all crew members, including three Russian citizens, were killed."

The helicopter involved in the transport of food to the peacekeepers of UNAMID (the joint peacekeeping mission of the African Union and UN). He belonged to a private Sudanese airline and was chartered United Nations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia do not exclude that crashed in the Sudan Mi-8 helicopter with three citizens of Russia on board could have been shot down, transmits Interfax. "Prorabatyvayutsya all versions, including the fact that he could be shot down" - said Deputy Director of Department of Information and the Press Igor Frolov Lyakin-to-air TV channel Vesti-24.

Earlier, representatives of UNAMID has reported shelling helicopter mission in Darfur, but the mission specialists can not say that was the cause of the disaster Mi-8. The Sudanese authorities have accused the Darfur rebels operating in the bombing of a helicopter. Representatives of the factions "Sudan Liberation Army" (SLA) denied the charges. "This crime is an act of terrorism, and we do not have any relation to it. We condemn this attack and denied involvement," - said a representative group Mahgub Hussein. Applications from other rebel groups operating in Darfur have been reported.

Russian was deployed in Sudan in 2006. It was composed of 120 soldiers and 4 Mi-8 helicopters. The Russian pilots did not participate in hostilities, their task is the transport of military observers to the UN mission, escorting the goods as well as search and rescue work.

In May this year in Sudan was shot down a Russian fighter MiG-29. This happened during the next rebel attack. As a result of an accident killed the pilot-instructor - a former Russian air force officer, who after the dismissal recruited to train Sudanese pilots.

Since 2003, the Sudanese province of Darfur is continuing civil war: government forces resisted the rebel groups seeking greater independence for the rebellious province.

The African Union conveyed to the UN mandate for the deployment of a joint peacekeeping operation UNAMID in the Sudanese Darfur at the end of December 2007. 31 July, 2007 UNAMID was authorized by the UN Security Council in response to the continuing widespread violence in the Darfur region, said .

Earlier in Sudan have been deployed around 9000 troops the African Union, more than 50 of them died in 2004, which started operation in that African country. According to the UN, as a result of ethnic conflict in Darfur province killed about 200 000 people, but the Government believed that figure exaggerated and unsubstantiated.