Senior inspector Zinaida Dyakonova, a spokesperson for the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), clarified that rumors claiming a Ministry Mi-8 helicopter took part in a blogger’s wedding are false. She spoke in an interview with DEA News, stating that the information is misinformation and that no rescue helicopter was hired for the celebration.
A video circulated on social media showing a Mi-8 helicopter associated with the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia, with newlyweds and guests visible in the frame. The video’s caption suggested that rescuers flew in by helicopter to congratulate the newly married couple. Residents of the republic expressed outrage over the post, prompting official clarification.
According to Dyakonova, the Mi-8 helicopter linked to the Ministry of Emergencies had arrived the previous day from Batagay, conducted a landing on Us Khatyn to drop off rescuers, and then proceeded to routine maintenance flights. The ministry’s statement emphasizes that the reported wedding helicopter booking is unrelated to any actual planning.
The release also notes that rescuers have been engaged in searching for missing persons in the Ust-Yansky area. The ministry urged the public to regard the claim about a helicopter being booked for a blogger’s wedding as misinformation and confirmed that no such aircraft was rented for that purpose.
Separately, reports from the Ural Transport Prosecutor’s Office indicate seven people were injured during a forced landing of a Mi-8 helicopter. On August 29, at 16:25 local time, a Horizon Airlines plane conducted an emergency landing approximately 17 kilometers from the village of Ugut in the Surgut district of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra.