According to reports, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost six service members in the crash of two Mil Mi-8 helicopters in the direction of Artemovsk [Bakhmut], where the aircraft were involved in operations.
"Yesterday, six pilots from the 18th separate army aviation brigade named after Igor Sikorsky died in the Bakhmut (Artemovsk - ed.) direction while performing a combat mission," according to Yevhen Rakita, the spokesperson of the 18th Separate Brigade of Army Aviation - part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Also last Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry's press service disclosed that fighter jets had shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 military helicopter in the Zaporozhye region. It's worth noting that earlier in August, another Mi-8 helicopter met a similar fate in the skies over the DPR.
A similar incident occurred last Friday, when two Ukrainian L-39 combat training planes crashed into each other in the Zhitomir region, claiming the lives of three pilots.
On December 30, 2022, media reports indicated that Russian fighter aircraft had taken down a Ukrainian MiG-29 and two Mi-8 helicopters.