Captain Serhiy Muzyka, a seasoned Ukrainian helicopter pilot, recounts a harrowing rescue mission in South Sudan that left him injured and changed his perspective on life.
**Ukrainian Helicopter Pilot Survives Gunfire in Daring South Sudan Rescue Mission**
**Ukrainian Helicopter Pilot Survives Gunfire in Daring South Sudan Rescue Mission**
A retired military pilot faces one of the fiercest challenges of his career while saving lives amid chaos.
Captain Serhiy Muzyka, who has dedicated 43 years to flying helicopters, found himself in a life-and-death scenario in South Sudan earlier this month. What began as a routine United Nations operation to evacuate soldiers took a deadly turn, as unexpected gunfire erupted at the Nasir military base. At 60 years old, Muzyka, who previously served in the Soviet army and fought in Afghanistan, never expected his final deployment to be this intense.
On a mission with Ukrainian Helicopters, he was tasked with rescuing injured soldiers, including a general, amid growing tensions in South Sudan, a country teetering on the brink of civil war. The mission turned critical when violence broke out, leading to the death of a crew member and several South Sudanese soldiers as Muzyka was shot in the arm while trying to navigate his damaged helicopter.
In a gripping account shared through a clip he recorded inside the cockpit, Muzyka described how he vividly witnessed blood and chaos; he noted, "I thought it happened in a dream." Despite sustaining injuries and severe damage to his aircraft, he managed to control the helicopter, flying low over remote areas for nearly an hour until reaching the nearest airport in Malakal.
During the chaotic moments of take-off, Muzyka utilized his military training as shooting erupted from multiple directions, and he made the split-second decision to lift off. The situation was dire, with crucial systems on the helicopter malfunctioning and blood covering the cockpit. His flight crew improvised by using makeshift tourniquets to stop the bleeding.
Despite enduring gunfire, Muzyka successfully landed the aircraft, only to learn of the tragic death of his flight attendant, Sergii Prykhodko. After the wounded were treated, the crew received UN honors, and concerns mounted regarding their families back home due to ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Muzyka has since returned to Ukraine for recovery, still grappling with the trauma of his experiences while nurturing hopes for a peaceful future.
