The Death of the Hero of Ukraine Oleksandr Shemet: Mi-24 Helicopter Collided with Shahed.

According to ТСН: The commander of the crew of the Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopter, which crashed on December 17 during a combat mission, was the hero of Ukraine Oleksandr Shemet.

Oleksandr Shemet came from Korjuwka in the Chernihiv region but spent much of his life in the Lviv region, where he served after completing his military training. His relatives currently live in Korjuwka.

According to his brother Yurii Shemet, the crew was ordered on the evening of December 17 to intercept Russian Shahed kamikaze drones. The helicopter took off and maintained contact with the command point but soon disappeared from radar screens.

“This meant that the aircraft had already crashed. Four bodies were found at the crash site – all crew members perished. This is a confirmed fact,” said the deceased's brother.

The death of the crew was reported by the press service of the 12th separate aviation brigade named after Lieutenant General Viktor Pavlenko on December 18. According to initial information, the accident occurred in the Cherkasy region. Final conclusions have not yet been released.

Yurii Shemet pointed out that the preliminary investigation indicates a possible collision of the helicopter with Russian kamikaze drones, which could not be detected by radars due to their very low flight altitude.

“The helicopter was practically torn to pieces, the bodies are severely burned. Investigators have not seen such a case before,” he emphasized.

Currently, the identification of the deceased continues, and the flight recorder data is being decrypted. Preliminary data indicates that no technical malfunctions or pilot errors were found – all systems operated normally.

What is known about Oleksandr Shemet

Oleksandr Shemet has been participating in the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine since 2015. At the beginning of the large-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, he defended Kyiv. Among his awards are the Orders of Daniel of Galicia and Bohdan Khmelnytskyi of the III Degree, as well as the awards “Cossack Cross” I and II Degrees.

The title Hero of Ukraine, with the award of the Order of “Golden Star”, was given to Oleksandr Shemet for his air breakthrough at “Azovstal” in Mariupol on April 5, 2022, where he successfully delivered ammunition and medical supplies to the defenders and evacuated the wounded while withstanding intense shelling.

As a reminder: Oleksandr Shemet turned 55 on December 13. This was the day of his last conversation with his brother. The deceased leaves behind a mother, a wife, a daughter, and a son who also serves in the military.

This tragedy once again underscores the price that the military pays for peace in our country. The death of the Mi-24 crew is a great loss for Ukraine, and the memories of Oleksandr Shemet as a hero who gave his life for his homeland will live on in the hearts of many. It is important that the memory of him and other defenders remains alive and reminds us of their courage and selflessness.