South Sudan crisis: A UN rescue mission, a shoot-out and the injured helicopter pilot

Ukrainian helicopter crew hailed after coming under fire during an evacuation of a military base in South Sudan.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersHelicopter pilot recounts flying under gunfire in daring rescue mission13 hours agoShareSaveAnne Soy & Lucy FlemingBBC News, Nairobi & LondonShareSaveUkrainian HelicoptersCaptain Serhiy Muzyka, who started his career in the Soviet army, never dreamt that his final deployment before heading into retirement after 43 years piloting helicopters would be play out like a Tom Cruise movie.

The 60-year-old Ukrainian ended up in a terrifying and deadly situation in South Sudan, when what seemed like a routine operation for the UN earlier this month turned into the most dramatic of his career.

During his military service - which included 20 years in the Ukrainian army - he served in Afghanistan and other dangerous places. He also encountered other danger zones during his work as a private contractor, including rescuing victims of a plane crash in Somalia in 2015.

But the mission to evacuate wounded soldiers from a military base in Nasir, in South Sudan's northern state of Upper Nile, is his most memorable.

A shoot-out at the base after he arrived ended up claiming the lives of a crew member and those of more than two dozen South Sudanese soldiers on the ground.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q1j0415kdo

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