MOSCOW, August 15./TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree awarding the Order of Courage to five servicemen killed in the crash of a Be-200 plane in Turkey on Saturday, the Kremlin press service reported on Sunday.
Lieutenant Colonel Vladislav Berkutov, Lieutenant Colonel Vadim Karasev, Colonel Yevgeny Kuznetsov, Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Omelchenko, Senior Sergeant Yuri Chubarov were awarded for the courage and dedication displayed in putting out fires in the Republic of Turkey, the report said.
The Russian Defense Ministry’s Be-200ChS amphibious aircraft crashed on Saturday in southeastern Turkey where it was helping to put out forest fires. Onboard were five Russian servicemen and three Turkish representatives, who were pointing out the fire locations to the crew. All of them were killed. Putin expressed deep condolences to the next-of-kin of the killed servicemen, and sent a telegram of condolences to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
