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After days of tension in Khartoum, Sudan faces an ongoing military coup, with clashes between the regular army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The RSF claimed control of the presidential palace, army commander’s residence, and international airport in the capital. According to witnesses, armored vehicles were seen on the streets, and fighter jets were spotted in the sky.
As of April 17, The New York Times has reported that 20 aircraft were either severely damaged or destroyed at the airport.
One damaged aircraft at the airport includes a Boeing 737 belonging to the Ukrainian low-cost airline, SkyUp. The plane caught fire on April 15 during the attempted coup d’état in Sudan.
The airline ran flights from Sudan to Saudi Arabia and Egypt in early 2023. In a statement, SkyUp said that the emergency locator beacon of the damaged aircraft was activated, and its condition cannot be evaluated at the moment.
SkyUp employees in the country are in a relatively safe location, and the company has been able to establish communication with them.
Oleh Nikolenko, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), said that the commander of the Ukrainian Honorary Consulate in Sudan was looking after the crew.
The MFA also denied reports of Ukrainians being taken hostage and advised Ukrainians not to visit Sudan in light of the deteriorating security situation.
