Artsakh President Awards 3 Crew Member Posthumoursly
YEREVAN (Armenpress)—Funeral services for the three crew members of an Artsakh military helicopter, which was downed by Azerbaijani forces on Nov. 12, were held Monday at St. Sarkis Church in Yerevan’s Nor-Nork district, while Artsakh President Bako Sahakian announced that the three soldiers will be awarded posthumously for their service.
In a special operation the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Armed Forces retrieved the remains of the three crew members from the helicopter crash site. The news of the operation was released on Saturday, but Nagorno-Karabakh Armed Forces announced that the operation had taken place few days prior to the announcement. The Artsakh forces were also able to recover portions of the downed helicopter, which will undergo an investigation.
President Serzh Sarkisian accompanied by Armenia’s Defense Minister Seryan Ohanian, Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenias and other government officials and members of parliament attended the service.
Catholicos Karekin II officiated the funeral mass and requiem service at St. Sarkis Church. At 2 p.m. local time Tuesday, the bodies of the three soldiers will be taken from St. Sarkis Church to Yerablur National Military Pantheon for interment.
“Taking into consideration the official statements by the Azerbaijani side and the absolute lack of reasoning, the Armed Forces of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic were forced to carry out a special operation to learn about the fate of the crew members of the helicopter downed by the rival on November 12 on the site and give solution to issues stemming from it. In the result of the realization of the military task, the body of one of the crew members and remains of the two pilots have been evacuated from the site of the incident along with some of the necessary parts of the helicopter. At the course of the special operation, two askyars of the rival have been eliminated. The Defense Army had no casualties,” an official statement by the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Armed Forces said on Saturday.
Karabakh President posthumously awards crew members of Mi-24 helicopter
On Saturday, Artsakh President Bako Sahakian signed a decree on posthumously awarding “For Courage” medal to major Sergey Sahakyan, senior lieutenant Sargis Nazaryan, lieutenant Azat Sahakyan , crew members of the NKR Air Force’s Mi-24 helicopter downed during a training flight as a result of ceasefire violation by Azerbaijani armed forces, reported the presidential press office.
Where are the representatives of Mother Russia. The least they can do is apologize for arming the Azeris with the weapons used to down the craft.
Bless them
Brave soldiers, may you rest in peace.
My family and I very deeply saddened to bring anarmed helicopter by the criminal Azerbaijani soldier for no reason while the three heroes were on training exercise mission. We very sadly share the grief of their families and all Armenians worldwide. Now the time of mourning and pay respect to the heroes who lost their life by the hand of the vicious evil enemy Azerbaijan while we are mourning the criminal Azeri president resting in his lavish palace enjoying the act of one of his soldier whom he gave a medal of a hero. Everytime when he shake hand with our President Serge Sargsyan to make peace and ceasfire from both sides, on his returnhome, Aliyev violates the law. of ceasfire. Now the time our government has good reason to stop meeting with the OSCE who suposedly attempt to bring the two countries to solve the ongoing fighting as the brutal Aliev not trustworthy, this is not a joke or hawks, enough our young brave army killed unnecessarily. I think it is the right time our government takes serious measures to announce Artsakh unites to Armenia. Let our our three heroes RIP.
Condolences for the families of these brave sodiers