Soviet-era aircraft

In the frigid morning of February 12, 2025, near an undisclosed location in Ukraine, a Mi-8 helicopter descended onto a makeshift landing zone. The crew, part of the 16th Separate Army Aviation Brigade from Brody, had just returned from a mission targeting Russian positions in the Donbas region. Pilots Yurii and Pavlo, both 24, shared their experiences operating the aging Mi-8 helicopters under constant threat from Russian air defenses.