For the first time, a country is donating attack helicopters to Ukraine. The Czech Republic announced yesterday (23) the transfer of Mil Mi-24 Hind aircraft to the country. The invasion of Russia completed three months this Tuesday and there is no sign of resolution so far.
The shipment of the aircraft was disclosed by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and General Mark Milley, head of the US t Chiefs of Staff.
Earlier in the day, the two hosted a virtual meeting with their colleagues to discuss continued assistance to Ukraine. Defense leaders from 47 countries attended the coalition's second meeting, which has been dubbed the Ukraine Group.
Austin thanked several European countries for their pledged weapons donations to Ukraine during the meeting, including the United Kingdom, Poland, Norway and Greece. But he singled out two others for particular praise.
“I am especially grateful to Denmark, which announced today that it will supply Harpoon missiles to help Ukraine defend its coast,” says Austin. “I would also like to thank the Czech Republic for its substantial , including a recent donation of attack helicopters, tanks and rocket systems.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, this move is seen as yet another escalation in the war between Kiev and Moscow. Alongside Slovakia, the Czech Republic also allowed the Ukrainian military to send dozens of armored vehicles across its borders for repairs, before returning to the conflict.
Despite Austin's statement, it remains unclear how many helicopters the Czechs donated to the invaded country. According to the survey World Air Forces 2022 of the portal Flightglobal, the country's air force has 15 Mi-24 Hind helicopters. These act alongside 19 Mi-8/17 Hip transports. The models will be replaced by AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters manufactured by US Bell.
According to the WSJ, the assistance shows how NATO's eastern flank is increasingly serving as a key supplier to Ukraine as the country wages what has become a full-scale conventional conflict.
Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic donated major weapons systems to Ukraine, as the three countries still maintain spare parts and shared expertise for Ukraine's Soviet-designed equipment.
In April, the Czech Republic became the first country to donate main battle tanks to Ukraine, sending T-72 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) to the country. In March, Slovakia donated S-300 long-range anti-aircraft missiles.
As donations increase, with increasingly complex systems in place, the conflict seems to go more and more unresolved.
The international effort to supply material to Ukraine's armed forces appears to be gaining momentum as those forces enjoy increasing success on the battlefield.
“The momentum for donations and deliveries has been excellent,” observes Austin. "Following today's discussions, I am pleased to report that we are stepping up our efforts and going forward, will continue to deepen our coordination and cooperation so that Ukraine can sustain and strengthen its battlefield operations."
General Milley notes that the number of US troops in and around Europe now tops 100.000 – a 30% increase compared to levels seen before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine's group plans to meet again in June.
