Russian Defense Plant Executives Killed In Helicopter Crash In Dagestan
- 9.11.2025, 15:30
The company works for the military-industrial complex of the aggressor country.
A Ka-226 helicopter crash in Dagestan killed five employees of the Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant (KEMZ), which works for Russia's military-industrial complex, The Moscow Times reported.
The victims included deputy general director for construction and transportation Achalo Magomedov, chief power engineer Sergei Suslov, chief designer for helicopter construction Sirazhutdin Saaduev and driver Islam Dzhabrailov, the company said.
The fifth casualty was the flight mechanic of the Ka-226 - he died in hospital. Only two survived: Akhmat Akhmatov, the plant's executive director and son of the head of KEMZ, and test pilot Vladimir Andreev. They were hospitalized in the burn center of Makhachkala.
The helicopter crashed on November 7, on its way from Kizlyar to the Sunny Beach recreation center near Izberbash. Its last minutes were caught on video. During an emergency landing, the Ka-226 raised its nose high and hit the pier hard with its rear end, causing the tail beams and plumage to break. The crew then attempted to land, but after barely touching the water, soared into the air in search of another landing site. Soon the pilot lost control, and the helicopter, falling apart, crashed into an uninhabited house in the village of Achi-Su, after which it caught fire.
The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on violation of safety rules, resulting in the death of several people (part 3 of article 263 of the Criminal Code). Two versions of the accident are being considered: piloting error and technical malfunction. The Interstate Aviation Committee will investigate the causes of the accident. It is known that Ka-226 belonged to KEMZ.
Kizlyarsky Electromechanical Plant is part of Rostec. The company produces helicopters, small aircraft, aircraft products and anti-drone complexes. Since June 2022, KEMZ has been under U.S. sanctions for contributing to "malicious actions of the Russian Federation abroad." In June 2024, the plant, along with CEO Ibragim Akhmatov, was blacklisted by the European Union. The justification said that the company produces ground control and diagnostic systems for aircraft, as well as onboard equipment for Su-25 fighters, which are used in the war with Ukraine.