Fuel-starved helicopter carrying Russian officials lands on Sakhalin road

According to the report, there was a member of the Sakhalin regional electoral commission, four propagandists from local television channels, and three crew members on board.

The helicopter was returning from Cape Terpeniya in the Poronaysky district, where early voting was being conducted for Russia’s State Duma elections among residents of remote areas.

According to Fighterbomber, a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel, both engines shut down after the helicopter unexpectedly ran out of fuel. It came down about 5 kilometers short of Sokol airfield.

The electoral commission’s press service said the helicopter began losing altitude sharply as it approached the airfield. The pilot managed to land on a road, after which the helicopter rolled into a ditch.

The passengers and crew members suffered bruises and scratches, according to the statement. The Moscow Times noted the helicopter belongs to Aviation Detachment No. 11 in Khabarovsk and had been provided by Russia’s Defense Ministry to support voting in remote areas.