Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has blamed the Defense Ministry for problems with the operational condition of an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft evacuating Ukrainians and citizens of some other countries from Nepal.
Asked by journalists in Kyiv who would be held responsible for the defects, Avakov replied: “Those who provided this plane – the Defense Ministry.”
“Everyone is responsible for their own. This is a system that we have, it’s unworthy, and I’d like to tell you honestly: we are not ready for such operations. Yes, the plane was broken down twice, and everything needs to be changed to have something different next time,” he added.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that the Ukrainian Air Force Il-76 crew fully performed its mission on evacuating Ukrainian citizens from Nepal, even despite some problems.
Acting Air Force Commander Serhiy Drozdov vowed that the plant that earlier overhauled the plane “will be held responsible for the malfunctions.”
It was reported earlier that the death toll from an April 25 earthquake in Nepal had exceeded 8,400 people, and about 18,000 others were injured.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko instructed the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry to send a plane to Nepal to evacuate affected Ukrainians. Acting State Emergency Situations Service chief Zorian Shkiriak led the evacuation mission.
The Il-76’s flight to Nepal was delayed for three days. After the plane landed at the Delhi airport, it turned out that it could not continue its flight to Kathmandu because of a mechanical breakdown. It took several days to deliver the necessary spare part for the plane by diplomatic mail, install it, and adjust the engine.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported on May 4 that the plane was fully operational and ready to fly to Nepal.
After the plane arrived in Kathmandu, the passengers boarded it, and it left for Delhi for refueling, it turned out that a tire in its landing gear had been destroyed by the runway damaged by the earthquake.
Having one wheel replaced in Delhi, the plane continued its flight to Baku, where it was refueled, and its passengers rested. The plane safely landed at Kyiv’s Boryspil airport at 3:53 a.m. on Thursday.
Meanwhile, some media outlets have published a number of articles, pictures, and other reports compromising Shkiryak as the chief of the rescue mission.
