Slovakia to Beef Up Air Defense on Border With Ukraine After Chopper Crash

Commenting on the discovery of the wreckage of a Ukrainian Mi-2 transport helicopter in eastern Slovakia, Internal Affairs Minister Robert Kalinyak noted that Slovakia would use all the means at its disposal to protect its eastern border, up to and including the beefing up of its air defenses.

The helicopter, which was discovered in the village of Stretavka near the Slovak-Ukrainian border on Friday, was believed to be carrying between 7-8 persons, and may have been used for people smuggling, according to statements by Ukrainian officials.

Speaking to the Slovak news agency TASR, Kalinyak noted that in the interests of protecting Slovakia's eastern border from illegal airborne intrusions, the country would deploy air defenses. 

"The deployment of air defense systems on our eastern border is a very difficult decision. It is an emergency measure, but the moment demands such measures," the minister noted. "From now on, all available means will be used to defend our airspace," he added.

Kalinyak stated earlier that policemen on the border with Ukraine had reported an intrusion by an unidentified aircraft into Slovakia. "After this an investigation began, but was complicated by bad weather, first and foremost by a dense fog. As soon as the fog lifted, we discovered [on Friday] the wreckage of an Mi-2 transport helicopter in the region of Michalovce. It was there that we discovered the bodies of the dead passengers. The investigation has only just begun," the minister noted.

Kalinyak refused to confirm local media speculation that the helicopter may have been carrying refugees from South-East Asia in addition to Ukrainian citizens. "At the moment we cannot yet confirm or rule out any information about whether this may have been an illegal immigrant smuggling operation. Experts, criminologists and forensic doctors have arrived at the scene [of the crash] to investigate this tragedy."