Alisa Gevorgyan
Public Radio of Armenia
The three pilots of the downed helicopter were laid to rest at Yerablur Military Pantheon today with military honors.
“We’re determined to return all those who fell on the path to Armenia’s freedom.” This statement Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan made just a few days ago first of all referred to the pilots of the helicopter shot down by Azerbaijani armed forces during a training flight. After days of useless calls by the international community to provide access to the crash site, the NKR armed forces had to undertake a special operation to retrieve the bodies of the crew members.
“November 22 became the proof of this resoluteness. Bowing before the memory of our fallen pilots, we at the same time express gratitude to the participants of the special operation to retrieve their bodies. The death of Major Sergey Sahakyan, Lieutenant Sargis Nazaryan and Lieutenant Azat Sahakyan was yet another demonstration of the illogical and irresponsible policy of the adversary,” Minister Ohanyan said at Yerablur today.
The Minister said 2014 was a hard year. The downing of the helicopter during a training flight was the continuation of Azerbaijan’s provocative actions that started on January 20, 2014. He added that Azerbaijan fails to make conclusions from the worthy resistance the Armenian Forces show every time.
“The rival today pays for the short-sighted and miscalculated steps and the authorities still have to respond for the losses in their own army, which they could avoid,” the Defense Minister said.
Remind that that the crew members of the helicopter were posthumously awarded “For Courage” Medals by NKR President Bako Sahakyan. NKR Defense Minister Movses Hakobyan handed the medals to their families today.
