This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
The General Staff of North Macedonia has backed the transfer to Ukraine of 12 Mi-24 military helicopters that it purchased from Kyiv two decades ago, Macedonian Defense Minister Slavjanka Petrovska said on March 25. The transfer still must receive government approval. Petrovska said Skopje will procure eight new, Western-platform rotorcraft to replace the Mi-24s. She said the military equipment being supplied to Ukraine was “under our plans…reaching the end of its service life.” Petrovska said that “the transfer of helicopters to Ukraine will not weaken Macedonia’s defense capabilities, as some of the helicopters have not been used for some time.”
