The lockdown coincided with a violent thunderstorm at 8:40 pm on June 14

The lockdown coincided with a violent thunderstorm at 8:40 pm on June 14. Strong wind gusts forced an arriving Bravo Airways McDonnell Douglas MD-83, carrying 175 passengers and crew, to overrun the landing strip, ending up on its belly in the mud. “The situation was complicated by the increased threat of an explosion: there were four tons of aviation fuel on board. There was a threat to the lives and health of the passengers. At that time, the airport’s management, which was, in fact, hostage to the security forces, was not able to take measures that are appropriate to that weather condition,” read the statement by the management of Kyiv International Airport, a city company, and Master-Avia, a private company that manages the terminal and apron. Bravo is based at Sikorsky.