DELTARIAN SPECIAL FORCES EXTRACT EMBASSY PERSONELL, ONE HELICOPTER DOWNEDJanuary 27th 5451
A Deltarian mi-8 helicopter, one of two carried aboard the DNS BarukčićÉagsúila: In a unannounced move two Mi-8 helicopters on board the DNS Barukčić departed off the carrier at midnight just outside of kirlawan territorial waters. The helicopters, carrying five members of the RG-Orao special forces contingent (Radna Grupa), departed and reportedly flew extremely close to the waterbed before being able to reach the coast without triggering a response. The helicopters continued flying low according to the statement released by the Ministry of Defense, before reaching the Kirlawan capital around two hours into the flight. When near the capital, the helicopters were forced to gain altitude to reach the roof of the Deltarian embassy, where the seven embassy personel were brought onto one of the helicopters before both immediately departed.
Just after initiating the return, one of the helicopters was spotted by Kirlawan AA defense systems in the capital, with two ground-to-air missiles hitting one of the helicopters, crashing it into a suburb of the capital. The other helicopter, partially helped by AA systems being distracted by the first, was able to escape. A daring two hour flight back, already called by some the "Eagle's Flight", saw the helicopter avoid radar detection through flying low once more, being hit once by machine gun fire but substaining no major damage or injuries. The helicopter landed on the DNS Barukčić just before 4 AM, revealing that the heli was the one transporting all the embassy personell and two of the five RG-Orao operators. The Ministry of Defense announced that the remaining three operators remained at the embassy to continue to protect the embassy grounds, together with the ten security guards present on the premises.
The mission, tho seen as a succes, did result in the killing of three Deltarian nationals, as the two pilots and one crewman on the downed Mi-8 have reportedly died during the crash. The Deltarian government, despite havign violated Kirlawan airspace and losing three of its own, has indicated that according to it it has acted within international law, extracting its own embassy personell and not "attacking" Kirlawan units or territory. It has also announced it will perform no other military directly at the Kirlawan regime, and has asked the Kirlawan government to allow a team to retrieve the three bodies on the downed Mi-8.
The mission was one of a kind, with the two Mi-8 helicopters specifically brought on board the Barukčić in anticipation of the mission. It was the first mission by the Z.O.G outside of training exercises and has been deemed a major succes. The three operators on the embassy premises will remain there until further notice, having taken up a coordinating role for the remaining security personell on the premises.