Russian Mi-8 military helicopter makes emergency highway landing on Sakhalin Island

A Russian military Mi-8 helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing on a highway on Sakhalin Island on September 2, 2026. The incident occurred on the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk–Dolinsk highway in the Dolynsky district as the aircraft was approaching the Sokol airfield.

Reports indicate that the helicopter suffered from a fuel shortage, causing its engines to cut out while in flight. The aircraft descended low over the roadway, narrowly missing several vehicles before landing heavily on the asphalt and sliding into a roadside ditch.

There were eight people on board the aircraft. All eight individuals survived the incident, reportedly sustaining only minor injuries.