Heroes of Belarus! The President has signed a decree to posthumously confer honorary titles to Andrei Nichiporchik and Nikita Kukonenko.
On May 19, 2021, being in the sky over Baranovichi the commander and pilot of the 116th Guards Air Assault Base, without hesitation preferred to die rather than risking to kill anyone on the ground. A Yak-130 military aircraft crashed during a training flight. Only a minute passed from the moment of the emergency to the crash. Under these conditions, with incredible effort, at an altitude of about 50 meters, the crew managed to stabilize the flight direction and steer the Yak-130 outside the residential buildings.
Andrei Nichiporchik and Nikita Kukonenko were awarded the title "Hero of Belarus" for their courage and heroism in the performance of military duty.
A street has already been named after the pilots in Baranovichi; local residents honor the heroes. The accident is studied by seconds in Lida Assault Brigade. The people of Belarus will not forget their feat.












