A Russian helicopter with 22 people on board, including three crew members, has gone missing in the Kamchatka Peninsula in the far east of the country, state media reported on Saturday. The Mi-8T helicopter, operated by Vityaz-Aero airline, had taken off from a site near the Vachkazhets volcano, heading to the village of Nikolaevka, located 25 kilometers away. The aircraft failed to establish contact at the scheduled time, around 07:15 Moscow time, according to the TASS news agency.

In response, another aircraft has been dispatched to search for the missing helicopter. Additionally, a Mi-8 helicopter from the Russian Emergencies Ministry, equipped with rescuers, is on standby, ready to join the search efforts. Meanwhile, a probe committee has launched an investigation into the incident, focusing on potential violations of traffic safety rules and the operation of air transport.

Drizzle and fog were reported in the area at the time the helicopter went missing, which could have contributed to the incident.

Earlier this year, in January, a Russian charter plane bound for Moscow crashed in northern Afghanistan, but four of the people on board survived. The chartered ambulance plane, a French-made Dassault Falcon 10 jet, had originated from Utapao Airport in Thailand and was destined for Zhukovsky International Airport in Russia. Russian aviation authorities confirmed that the plane, co-owned by the Athletic Group LLC and a private individual, had four crew members and two passengers on board.