North Macedonia will consider returning Ukraine’s Mi-24 helicopters
Мі-24 (Photo:MSGT STEVEN TURNER/Wikipedia)
The North Macedonian government will consider a proposal from its General Staff to return Mi-24 helicopters purchased from Ukraine in 2001 on March 29, North Macedonian Defense Minister Slavjanka Petrovska saidon North Macedonian television channel Alsat TV.
"All the equipment that has been transferred so far, apart from the fact that it is at the request of Ukrainians, they need it, and it is equipment that the Ukrainian army skillfully uses," she said in an interview broadcast in the Balkan country on March 24.
“This is equipment that, according to our plans, is reaching the end of its service life.”
The decision concerns 12 Mi-24s that North Macedonia bought from Ukraine in 2001, some of which have been out of service for some time.
Petrovska stressed that this decision would not affect the combat capability of the North Macedonian army. North Macedonia plans to buy eight new Western-made helicopters.
"They no longer feature in the formation of our army, and because of our transformation, they will no longer be an integral part. For these reasons it is considered that they are not needed," the defense minister said.
North Macedonia confirmed on March 20 the transfer of four Soviet Su-25 attack aircraft to Ukraine.
Ukraine requested the North Macedonia combat helicopters on March 15, reported North Macedonian media, citing government sources.
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