Dagestan, November 8: A rare and tragic helicopter crash near the Caspian Sea on Friday claimed the lives of five senior Russian defense officials and left two others critically injured, after a Russian Ka-226 helicopter suffered a catastrophic technical failure mid-flight.
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Pilot’s Attempted Emergency Landing Ends in Disaster
According to eyewitness reports, the Ka-226 helicopter, en route from Kizlyar to Izberbash in Dagestan, caught fire midair due to an apparent technical malfunction. The pilot attempted an emergency landing along the Caspian coastline.
However, before reaching the water, the aircraft struck a sand dune, shattering its tail section. The helicopter then plunged into shallow waters, briefly lifted off again as the pilot tried to stabilize it, but lost balance once more and crashed violently into the courtyard of a nearby house
.🚨🇷🇺🇺🇦 CHOPPER CRASH KILLS KEY FIGURES AT KEY RUSSIAN MILITARY PLANT
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 9, 2025
A Ka-226 helicopter went down hard in Dagestan on November 7, 2025, slamming into an empty house near Achi-Su village while en route from Kizlyar to Izberbash.
The bird caught fire mid-air, pilots tried… https://t.co/AT04u4MdMs pic.twitter.com/325tBTBHHv
Eyewitness footage circulating on social media captured the horrifying sequence, showing the tail snapping off before the helicopter spun uncontrollably and burst into flames upon impact.
Victims and Investigation
Dagestan’s Health Minister Yaroslav Glazov confirmed that three passengers and the pilot were pulled from the wreckage but succumbed to their injuries shortly after.
Among the deceased were several high-ranking officials from the Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant (KEMZ) — including the Deputy Director General, Chief Engineer, Chief Designer, a Flight Mechanic, and another senior defense specialist.
The helicopter, identified by registration number RA-19307, was officially declared a “catastrophe” by Rosaviatsia, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency. Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation focusing on three primary angles:
- Technical malfunction,
- Fuel system failure, and
- Possible maintenance lapses.
Massive Fire After Impact
Following the crash, the helicopter was engulfed in flames that spread across nearly 80 square meters. Fortunately, the house where the helicopter crashed was unoccupied at the time, preventing additional casualties.
Emergency crews quickly arrived at the scene and managed to bring the fire under control after several hours of operation.
Viral Footage Raises Safety Concerns
Video clips of the crash, which have gone viral on Russian social media platforms, show the helicopter’s tail section detaching moments before impact, raising serious questions about the airworthiness and maintenance standards of Ka-226 aircraft used in defense operations.
Authorities have yet to release an official cause, but preliminary findings suggest the tragedy may have been the result of a sudden mechanical or fuel system failure during flight.
Rosaviatsia officials have termed the incident “a national aviation disaster”, as investigations continue to determine the precise sequence of failures that led to one of Russia’s most alarming military aviation accidents in recent years.
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