Two highschoolers in the Russian city of Omsk set fire to an Mi-8 helicopter at a local airbase. They claim to have been promised 1,83 million rubles ($20,000) for the arson, Ukrainian military journalist Andriy Tsaplienko reported on Telegram.
According to Russian media, the teens entered the airbase on the evening of Sept. 21, threw a Molotov cocktail at the helicopter, and fled.
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However, they were quickly detained. The suspects, Roma and Anton, both 16 years old, claimed they received instructions via Telegram but did not reveal who was behind the arson request.
Reports do not confirm whether the teens were actually paid for setting the helicopter on fire.
The Mi-8 is the world’s most-produced helicopter, with over 17,000 units in military and civilian service across more than 50 countries, mainly as a transport aircraft. First flown in 1961, it is still manufactured at two facilities in Russia. In 2021, Flight Global magazine ranked the Russian Mi-8/Mi-17 as the second most popular military helicopter in the world.
The Ukrainian government has not commented on the incident or any possible involvement.
In a separate incident on Sept. 11, two teenagers in Noyabrsk, Yamalo-Nenets, set fire to another Mi-8 helicopter, as reported on Russian social media. Timur, 13, and Sasha, 14, sneaked into the airport through a hole in the fence and escaped the same way. They were allegedly promised via Telegram 5 million rubles ($55,000) for the arson.
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The teens were caught an hour later after suffering severe burns while igniting the helicopter using flammable liquid and cigarettes. Russian Telegram channels reported that the helicopter was nearly destroyed. The father of one of the suspects is reportedly fighting in Ukraine.
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