The Belarusian Air Force Receives Four New Mi-35M Helicopters From Russia
Despite its ongoing attempts to invade Ukraine, Russia continues to export weapons. In this regard, the Kremlin, which recently delivered a new Mi-17V-5 helicopter to the Kyrgyz Air Force, has now delivered four “Mi-35M” helicopters to the Air Force of the Republic of Belarus. Belarusian pilots transported the new helicopters from a training center on Russian Federation territory to the 50th Composite Air Base in the Minsk region. “Belarusian pilots are flying the first batch of Mi-35 helicopters that entered service in the Belarusian army,” the Belarusian defense ministry said in a statement. “These helicopters were delivered in accordance with the Russian Federation’s plan for the construction and development of the armed forces and military-technical development.”
The delivery of the aforementioned helicopters took place in accordance with an agreement of unknown cost that was signed at the International Military-Technical Forum “Army-2020” exhibition between the Ministry of Defense of Belarus and the Russian authorities at the exhibition. The agreement in question called for the supply of four Mi-35M helicopters and two battalions of BTR-82A armored personnel carriers manufactured by Arzamas Machine-Building Plant to Belarus. Within the scope of the contract, the first batch of Belarusian BTR-82A armored vehicles was delivered on September 30, 2021, the second batch on December 9, 2021, and the third batch in January 2023.
As part of defense cooperation, Russia has so far provided the Belarusian Armed Forces with Tor-M2 missile systems, S-400 air defense systems and Iskander high-precision missile systems in addition to Mi-35M helicopters and BTR-82A Armored Personnel Carriers. Belarus, which has played a key role for Russia since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, additionally intends to receive and purchase eight Mi-35 helicopters and new batches of Su-30SM aircraft from Moscow in the near future. Belarus is bolstering its armed capabilities day by day with fresh acquisitions, with some commentators fearing it will become a second potential threat to Western Europe.