A Mi-24 helicopter bearing camouflage typical of the North Macedonian Armed Forces was spotted in the background of a photo featuring pilots from Ukraine’s Army Aviation.
This strongly indicates that it is one of the 12 helicopters North Macedonia pledged to transfer to Ukraine in the spring of 2023. The transfer reportedly included 10 Mi-24V models and 2 Mi-24K models, the latter being a variant designed for artillery adjustment.
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Over 1.5 years passed between North Macedonia’s announcement of the helicopter transfer and their first public appearance in Ukraine. This delay is understandable, considering the known state of the Mi-24 fleet in the Macedonian Army Aviation at the start of 2023.
As of 2023, the Macedonian Army Aviation operated only two Mi-24V helicopters actively, with four more in storage. The remaining six had long been mothballed and were used as sources for spare parts.
It appears that Ukraine’s Armed Forces managed the Mi-24 helicopters received from North Macedonia as follows: two helicopters were put into immediate operation, several were restored using spare parts, and the rest were reserved for additional parts.
Notably, Ukraine’s Army Aviation rarely reveals details or showcases specific helicopters from its fleet. For example, in May 2024, Ukrainian helicopter crews demonstrated a rare Mi-24VP equipped with a rotating turret and twin 23-mm aircraft cannon. This helicopter was clearly part of Ukraine’s inventory before February 2022.
Additionally, North Macedonia supplied other significant military equipment to Ukraine, including all four of its stored Su-25 attack aircraft and all 31 of its T-72 tanks.
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