You're reading: Sloviansk ‘self-defense forces’ claim third Ukraine Armed Forces helicopter was shot down

A third helicopter of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been shot down by the "self-defense forces" near Sloviansk, the Rossiya 24 television station reported on May 2.

“The helicopter exploded literally in mid-air,” a TV station reporter said during a live broadcast.

The Sloviansk “people’s mayor” and “self-defense forces” leader, Viacheslav Ponomariov, said earlier that the pilot of one of the two Ukrainian Armed Forces helicopters shot down by the local “militia” had died.

“We shot down two helicopters. We are holding one pilot. One of the pilots from the other helicopter managed to escape across the field. The other pilot is dead,” Ponomariov told Interfax on Friday.