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WSJ: Poland secretly sent about a dozen Mi-24 helicopters to Ukraine

by The Kyiv Independent news desk July 9, 2023 3:21 PM 2 min read
Polish President Andrzej Duda during a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on June 28, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Valentyna Polishchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
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Poland recently sent Ukraine about a dozen Soviet Mi-24 attack helicopters in an undisclosed transfer, according to anonymous sources cited by the Wall Street Journal on July 9.

However, Ukraine’s fleet is still small compared with Russia’s air fleet, with less sophisticated targeting and defensive systems, the WSJ writes.

Poland has been one of Ukraine's staunch supporters, delivering about 3 billion euros worth of military aid to Ukraine,  Polish President Andrzej Duda said on April 14.

Duda said on April 5 that his country has already transferred four MiG-29 jet fighters to Ukraine, has prepared to transfer four more, and is preparing six more that “can be transferred quite soon,” bringing the total number of MiG-29s pledged to Kyiv to 14.

Duda also suggested that in the future, his country might provide its entire fleet of MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, once the Polish Air Force acquires new aircraft to offset the loss.

During the same visit, Poland and Ukraine signed a joint memorandum on the reconstruction of war-damaged areas of Ukraine and the production of 125mm tank rounds.

As of May 11, Poland has delivered 325 tanks and 14 fighter jets to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU reported.

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Czechia also plans to deliver attack helicopters to Ukraine.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala tweeted on July 7 that his country would send Ukraine additional attack helicopters and "hundreds of thousands" rounds of large-caliber ammunition "in the coming months."

Czechia will also help Ukraine to train its pilots, including on F-16 fighter jets, said Fiala. The country will deliver flight simulators to enable Ukraine to conduct the training on its soil, not just in Western countries.

The announcement comes a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Prague to meet with Czech President Petr Pavel, PM Fiala, and other top officials.

Zelensky, Duda commemorate victims of Volyn Massacre in Lutsk
On July 9, President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda commemorated the victims of the 1943 Volyn (Volhynia) Massacre during their surprise visit to Lutsk, a regional capital in northwestern Ukraine.
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