United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) | March 7, 2025
The United Nations helicopter (owned by Ukrainian Helicopters) was shot down during an evacuation in Nasir, Upper Nile State, killing one crew member and seriously injuring two others. In addition, several members of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), including General Daka, were killed during the evacuation of the area by the UNMISS.
The Ukrainian Helicopters aircraft landed at a designated point for the purpose of peacekeeping to evacuate people. When the shooting, which no one expected, began, Ukrainian Helicopters flight attendant-rescuer Serhiy Pryhodko covered the chief high-ranking negotiator of the UNMISS to stabilize the situation in South Sudan and, unfortunately, died. Pilot Serhiy Muzyka, with a gunshot wound to the hand, was able to lift the damaged helicopter into the air, evacuate 8 people and get them out of the shelling (Pilot Serhiy Muzyka already had extensive experience in search and rescue operations when he evacuated victims of a plane crash in Somalia in 2015.).
The co-pilot Dmytro Teplyh also, despite the gunshot wound, helped the pilot of the damaged aircraft. Thanks to the training and high professionalism of the pilots, who are trained by Ukrainian Helicopters to perform search and rescue operations day and night, despite the fact that the aircraft received more than 20 holes and suffered significant damage from firearms, the highly qualified crew, although injured, was able to complete the rescue operation and land the helicopter in a designated safe location.
The evacuation in South Sudan was a part of the UNMISS efforts to prevent violence in Nasir and reduce political tensions following recent clashes between the SSPDF and armed youth, which caused significant casualties and forced displacement of civilians.
“The attack on the UNMISS personnel is utterly abhorrent and may constitute a war crime under international law. We deeply regret the tragic loss of our colleague and express our sincere condolences to his loved ones. Ukrainian Helicopters supports UNMISS advise to launch an investigation to determine those responsible and hold them accountable”.
Ukrainian Helicopters also extends its condolences to the families of the victims and is proud of the heroism of its employees. The airline has been involved in search and rescue missions for 20 years, both day and night.
Ukrainian Helicopters Press
* H. E. Yuriy Sergeyev
The America Times was re-born on September 11, 2021, with the goal to better inform our leaders and policymakers of nuances, beyond conventional wisdom, to successfully address present day “Gordion Knots,” sometimes as Alexander the Great did by cutting it and other times by tediously unraveling it. During January 2022, diplomacy is at a fever pitch in Washington D.C., Moscow, Kyiv, Vienna, Geneva and Brussels, as a 100,000 Russian troops are keeping Ukraine’s borders “warm” in the Russian Winter. And, starting January 1st, five days before our one-year anniversary of our January 6th, Kazakhstan experienced peaceful protects, taken over by organized violent, radical, terrorist insurrection, and President Tokayev sought CSTO Peacekeepers to come andleave, restored law & order, and is now causing major reforms to secular democratic Kazakhstan. Given the CSTO success in Kazakhstan, we can hope - updating James A. Baker's Dec 5, 1993 Op-Ed in LA Times - that NATO & CSTO can merge to achieve President Biden’s goal of a united, free and stable Europe.
We are honored and privileged to have H. E. Yuriy Sergeyev – a geopolitical and diplomatic star of Ukraine, including, having served as Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2008 to 2016, and as a non-member represented Ukraine in the UNSC from 2014 - 2016, and has served as a bilateral ambassador to Greece, Albania, France, the Bahamas, and UNESCO
– join the Honorary Board of Advisors & Columnists of The America Timesin recognition of his excellence and record of contributions. Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev’slife experiences and diplomatic service, including, teaching at Yale University, helps him to better decipher the unshared motives of geopolitical leaders and unspoken goals of geopolitical events, which he will share from time to time on our pages. This will serve to form a more perfect nation, and world, and thereby enhance both regional and global peace and security.
Benjamin Franklin famously said in 1787: “It’s a republic madam, if you can keep it.” Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev’scontributions in The America Timeswill help us keep our Republic. Please enjoy his accomplishments, along with a few pictures – in various settings, including, in the UNSC, and with his colleagues as he is honored with the Diwali Power of One award at the United Nations Trusteeship Council, the Oscars of Diplomacy, in 2017.
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Publishers
H. E. Yuriy Sergeyev
Ambassador Dr. Yuriy Sergeyev is a Ukrainian diplomat and scholar.
From 1992 to 2016, he held senior positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine - Director of the Information Department, Chef de Cabinet, First Deputy Minister, Secretary of State, and was also the Ambassador of his country to Greece, Albania, France, the Bahamas, UNESCO, the United Nations. As the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Ambassador Sergeyev was elected by the UN General Assembly as Chairman of the 18th Meeting of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (2008-2009), Vice-Chairman of the Peacebuilding Commission for the period 2011-2012; Chairman of the Sixth (Legal) Committee (2012-2013). From February 2014 to 2016 he represented his country in the UN Security Council in the debates related to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Dr. Sergeyev has the diplomatic rank of Ambassador of Ukraine (2000) and the first rank of civil servant (2001 ).
As a scholar Ambassador Sergeyev holds master degree from Kyiv State University and PhD from the Institute of Linguistics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (1987). He taught at Kyiv State University (1981-1991 ), Polytechnic and Agricultural Institute of Katibugu in Mali (1984-1986), Yale University (2016-2020). Since 2017 he has been a visiting lecturer at the UNITAR (the United Nations Institute for Training and Research).
Ambassador Sergeyev is a member of the boards of directors of the World Information Transfer, the Ukrainian Peace Council, the Ukrainian Foreign Policy Association; Member of the Board of Trustees of the Ukrainian Academy of Music.
He was awarded the State Orders of Ukraine “For Merit” (Officer - 2003; Grand Officer - 2006), orders and medals of the Ministry of Ukraine and of foreign states. Yuri Sergeyev is married to Dr. Natalia lvashyna