Croatia delivers eight Mi-8 helicopters to Ukraine

Nine Mi-8 helicopters, which the Croatian government pledged to send last year, arrived on the territory of Ukraine from Zagreb.

The Military Courier reported that the first batch of Mi-8 was sent to our country on May 5. 

Мі-8 in Ukraine. Photo: Military Courier

The helicopters were not transported but flew from Croatia via Poland. The Air Force of the Armed Forces expects five more such aircraft shortly. They will reportedly arrive by land.

Мі-8 in Ukraine. Photo: Military Courier

At the end of last year, as reported by the publication, the Croatian government finally decided to hand over 14 of its Soviet-made Mi-8 helicopters to Ukrainian troops. Croatian Defense Minister Mario Banožić stated that the helicopters would soon be sent to Ukraine, but the equipment's exact delivery terms were unknown.

The Mi-8 helicopter is one of the most massively produced. A total of more than 12,000 units of this equipment were produced. The Soviet multipurpose helicopter was developed in the 1960s. It can perform various combat tasks depending on the configuration, from transporting cargo and special equipment to participating in assault operations. Instead of Mi-8s transferred to Ukraine, Croatia will receive Black Hawk helicopters from the USA. The Mi-8 helicopter holds the world record for the number of modifications.

Earlier, it was reported that on April 14, the Sea King helicopter piloted by Prince Andrew was handed over to Ukraine. Helicopters of this type will allow the Air Force of Ukraine to carry out vital search and rescue missions, which are very important, even though they are more than 40 years old and participated in the Falkland Islands War in 1982. No other aircraft, the British military claimed, could fly in bad weather, and the Sea King was up to the task. Sea King helicopters were decommissioned by the Royal Navy several years ago. Despite their age, the Ukrainian military responded positively to the supply of this equipment.

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