Western-sanctioned military-industrial company’s helicopter crashes in Daghestan, killing five

Five people have been killed after a helicopter belonging to the Western-sanctioned Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant crashed into a house in eastern Daghestan over the weekend. Among those injured in the crash was Akhmat Akhmatov, the head of the military industry company.

The helicopter crashed into an uninhabited private home in the Daghestani village of Achi-Su on Friday, instantly killing four passengers, according to RFE/RL. Local Telegram channels have reported that the fifth passenger died from his wounds after being hospitalised. The helicopter was en route to Izberbash from Kizlyar.

Only two people have survived the accident, including Akhmat Akhmatov, whose father, Ibragim Akhmatov, is the CEO of the plant. According to media outlet Sapa, Akhmat Akhmatov is being treated at a burn centre in the Daghestani capital of Makhachkala.

Footage shared on social media, purportedly of the crash, shows the helicopter quickly descending towards a raised patch of ground on a coast, hitting and severely damaging its tail, which afterwards hangs off the helicopter’s rear. The helicopter eventually plummets to the ground before the video abruptly cuts off.

RFE/RL has cited the Daghestani Emergency Situations Ministry as saying the crash caused a fire which covered an area of 80 square metres.

Sapa has reported that all those killed were employees of the Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant. They identified those killed as the deputy general director of the company, Achalo Magomedov, the plant’s chief engineer, Sergei Suslov, and three staff members responsible for operating the helicopter.

They have additionally cited the plant as saying the helicopter was on a work flight. They reported that both a technical malfunction and a pilot error were being considered as possible causes for the crash.

Daghestani Head Sergei Melikov was quick to offer his condolences, having issued a statement on his personal Telegram channel saying he ordered that the surviving victims be provided with all necessary medical care.

According to RFE/RL, the Kizlyar plant has been under US sanctions since June 2022. The plant was separately sanctioned by the EU in June 2024. According to the EU’s sanctions database, the Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant specialises in the development and manufacture of aircraft ground control and diagnostic systems.

RFE/RL has added that the justification behind the EU sanctions was the company’s production of systems for fighter jets used in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ibragim Akhmatov owned 18% of the plant in 2023, while his sons Akhmat and Magomed Akhmatov held 34% of the shares.