A Russian Mil Mi-8 helicopter caused a power outage in several areas after hitting a high-voltage line when it made an emergency landing along a highway.
The incident occurred on January 17, 2024, along the M3 highway in the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine.
While the eight people onboard the Mi-8 were safe, the landing left four nearby districts without electricity.
According to Bryansk Oblast Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz, the districts of Sevsky, Suzemsky, Brasovsky and Komarichsky experienced power disruption because of the incident.
Video clips of the Mi-8 on the highway have been shared online. The footage, which was shared alongside photographs, shows that the helicopter’s tail rotor, which struck the power line, was broken in the incident.
Helicopter engineers are currently repairing the damage to the Mi-8.
In January 2023, an Mi-8 helicopter belonging to the Russian Special Flight Detachment ‘Rossiya’ crashed in Moscow’s Vnukovo international airport (VKO), resulting in several casualties.
The Special Flight Detachment ‘Rossiya’ is a company that operates a fleet of VIP aircraft used for transporting Russian government officials, including the country’s president Vladimir Putin.