Poland has donated about 10 Soviet-era Mi-24 attack helicopters to Ukraine, according to Wall Street Journal.
The WSJ has reported that Poland secretly sent Mi-24 attack helicopters to Ukraine.
According to pictures and videos on social media, Polish helicopters are now on their way to Ukraine. Several helicopters were spotted on tractor-trailers on Poland’s highways.
The number of Mi-24s received from Poland is not officially announced, the Polish Armed Forces operates about 28 Mi-24 helicopters of D and B configuration. These helicopters are planned to be replaced by eight Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.
The Mi-24 Hind is a gunship helicopter that was produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and was introduced by the Soviet Air Force in 1972. It is a two-engine attack helicopter designed for close air support of ground forces against armoured targets, and for transport of personnel.
Unlike agile American Cobra and Apache attack helicopters, the larger and more unwieldy Hind was conceived by designer Mikhail Mil as a heavily armed tank-like troop transport that could fly.