Four defenders did not return from the skies: a Mi-8 crew was killed in the Poltava region
Final sortie: the names of four defenders who died while intercepting drones have been announced
During a combat mission to intercept Russian unmanned aerial vehicles in Poltava region, the crew of a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter was killed. The tragedy occurred on June 30, 2026 near the village of Starytskivka in Poltava district.
On board were 4 servicemen of the helicopter squadron of the 16th Separate Army Aviation Brigade “Brody”. All crew members were killed. The Brody City Council reported the loss, and the location of the mission was clarified by the Poltava publication “ZMIST”. What exactly happened to the helicopter during the interception of enemy drones has not been officially disclosed.
Made their last combat flight:
- crew commander, Captain Yurii Voron;
- pilot-navigator, Major Valentyn Mukshynov;
- flight technician, Senior Lieutenant Bohdan Khmil;
- air gunner, Junior Sergeant Mykhailo Deryaga.
The Brody City Council emphasized that the four aviators remained faithful to their military oath until the end and were performing tasks to defend Ukraine.
The farewell for Yurii Voron, Valentyn Mukshynov, Bohdan Khmil and Mykhailo Deryaga will take place on July 7, 2026 in Brody. At 09:30 the funeral cortege will be met at the Alley of Heroes, after which a farewell rite will be held at the Church of the Exaltation of the Honorable Life-Giving Cross.
Eternal memory to the Ukrainian defenders.
Previously we wrote:
- Amid Shahed attacks, Ukraine is testing air-defense lasers: initial results exist, details classified
- The operator presses, then the drone does everything on its own: Ukrainians have honed hunting for Shaheds
- Ballistic missiles weren’t stopped: Russia struck Ukraine with missiles and hundreds of drones
- Kim announced municipal production of drones to shoot down “Shaheds”
- A drone strike destroyed a Mi-8 and a Ka-52 at Puhachevka airfield
