"The pilots that showed courage and risked to fly over Nagorny Karabakh and adjacent territories despite the danger of being targeted by Azeri snipers are heroes," Larisa Alaverdyan, first Ombudswoman of Armenia, Executive Director of the Fund Against Legal Outrage, member of the State Committee for POWs and Captives, told reporters, Wednesday, when commenting on the statements suggesting that the actions of the killed Armenian pilots were the mistake of their leadership.
Alaverdyan believes that the Karabakh army special operation to recover the bodies of the downed helicopter's pilots was not a response to Azerbaijan.
"It was the country's duty to recover the bodies of the killed pilots and commit to the earth. I think Armenia's response to Azerbaijan's rampant actions must be weighted and proper. We should not rush into responding to Azerbaijan's actions. No hastily steps," she said.
Alaverdyan said she does not anticipate any timely support from the world community and pointed at inactivity of the OSCE CiO PR Andrzej Kasprzyk.
Military Honors Funeral to the pilots of the Karabakh Defense Army Mi-24 helicopter that was shot down by Azerbaijani armed force was held at the St. Sargiss Church in Nor Nork Administrative District in Yerevan on 24 November. The remains of the killed pilots were buried in the city pantheon "Yerablur" on 25 November after a mourning procession.
The Azerbaijani armed forces downed an Armenian Mi-24 while it was conducting a training flight near the Line on Contact on 12 November. Three officers of the NKR Armed Forces, Sergey Sahakyan, Sargis Nazaryan and Azat Sahakyan, were on board. The Azeri officer that shot the helicopter down has been awarded a medal. On 22 November, the NKR Defense Army Special Forces recovered the body of a crewmember and the remains of the two pilots of Mi-24 helicopter that was downed by Azerbaijani forces on 12 November. The necessary wreckage was recovered too. Two Azerbaijani militaries were killed in the course of the special operation. The NKR Defense Army suffered no losses.