A helicopter of Ukrainian on Thursday local time crashed in the Black Sea in which 12 people were killed& leaving only one survivor. It happened in the northwestern Black Sea, near the mouth of the Danube river.

An official said that a total 13 people, three flight crew & 10 passengers, had been aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash. Eleven of the dead were border security staff & other person killed was a civilian. The identity of the single survivor was not immediately made public.

The official said that the Ukrainian border troops Mi-8 helicopter had been carrying personnel & two tonnes of supplies to Zmeyniy Island, a rocky outcrop some 60 km south of the Danube’s mouth.

The flight from the mainland to Zmeyniy Island by Mi-8 lasts approximately 45 minutes. It was not clear when exactly or for what reason the helicopter had crashed. The downed helicopter was visible in shallow water & had apparently almost reached the island before hitting the water.

Two motor launches & a pair of helicopters participated in a search of the area. Ukraine has seen unsettled weather in recent days, with snows even in lowlands & temperatures hovering slightly above freezing, alternating with sunny weather with temperatures at 10-13 degrees centigrade.