Kiev: President Poroshenko's neighbors report 'helicopter bomb attack'
Kiev police are investigating reports of an incendiary bomb attack by a camouflaged helicopter on a suburban house adjacent to the giant villa owned by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
The incident happened in the village of Kozin on the Dnieper River, south of Kiev, on May 6, according to reports on TV news program TSN. The property belongs to a family of business owners.
Witnesses of the attack, including a guard and the young son of the couple, told journalists that a helicopter painted in black and green “camouflage” fired at least three incendiary projectiles at the property.
If the attackers had intended to cause serious damage then their aim did not appear to be any good - the only sign of the bombing shown by TV was a burned-out bush, which apparently was reduced to ashes in 20 seconds.
Security cameras did not record the moment of the reported attack, and police also failed to discover any fragments of the projectile used in the alleged firebombing, according to a report by Segonya news outlet.
The family’s lawyer said the helicopter was a Mil Mi-8, a popular model widely available for both military and civilian use.
“There are all reasons to believe that they targeted this property. After firing, the helicopter flew away at once,” the lawyer said.
Police are investigating the incident as arson, but the family’s lawyer said he would be conducting a “parallel investigation, so that they didn’t try to dismiss it.”
Kozin lists a number of wealthy residents including Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who has a mansion there.
The Ukrainian president’s adviser, Yury Biryukov, called the report “utter nonsense” and said that the village had not been shelled from the air.
In a comment on Facebook, he blamed the incident on a “defective flare” falling from a military helicopter which had been conducting a scheduled flight in the area.
