4 Ukrainian pilots killed in Mi-24 helicopter collision with Shahed
The crew of a Mi-24 helicopter, which included four pilots - Oleksandr Shemet, Yaroslav Sachyk, Dmytro Popadiuk, and Ihor Tohanchyn - were killed during a combat mission on December 17, 2025. It was reported by the Lviv Regional State Administration.
"Today, the Lviv Region sent off the defenders of the 12th Separate Brigade of the Army Aviation named after Viktor Pavlenko, who were aboard a Mi-24 helicopter that crashed during a combat mission on December 17, 2025," the administration said.
The crew was killed while repelling an attack by the aggressor country russia in Ukraine. The news of the death of the military was announced by the 12th Separate Brigade of the Army Aviation named after Viktor Pavlenko on December 18, 2025.
According to Oleksandr Shemet's brother, Yurii Shemet, in a comment to Suspilne, the crew of the Mi-24 helicopter flew to intercept the russian Shaheds.
"The aircraft took off and kept in touch with the control center. Subsequently, the radar did not detect the helicopter. This indicates that it went down. Four bodies were found at the crash site. All crew members were killed," said Shemet.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the crew of a Mi-24 helicopter was killed during a combat mission.
On September 11, 2025, a pilot of the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade, Major Oleksandr Borovyk, was killed while flying a combat mission on a Su-27 aircraft in the Zaporizhzhia direction.
The pilot of the 40th tactical aviation brigade "Ghost of Kyiv" Serhii Bondar was killed on the night of August 23.