In the USA, a company that the State Aviation Service of Ukraine entrusted with supporting repair documentation for Mi-8 helicopters was deemed unsuitable for cooperation

It is also noteworthy that for the execution of foreign contracts, AAL Group Ltd modernized helicopters at the facilities of the aviation plant in Ulan-Ude (Russia).

In the spring of 2013, Fidelskyi tried to obtain from "Rosoboronexport," headed by Chemezov, who was close to Putin and chairman of the board of directors, a "Certificate of Repair Organization for Military Aviation Equipment Types." He, as journalists claim, even proposed creating a joint venture with "Rosoboronexport" and "Russian Helicopters" for helicopter repair.

The close ties between Fidelskyi's AAL Group Ltd and "Rostec" are also evidenced by the fact that back in 2013, the "Moscow Machine-Building Plant "Znamya," part of the "Technodinamika" holding of the state corporation "Rostec," supplied stand equipment intended for the repair of Mi-8/17 helicopters to CJSC "VneshAviaTrans" for further transfer to AAL Group Ltd. The supply was carried out within the framework of the Russian state program for mastering the repair of its own manufactured units in service centers abroad.

The contract for the supply of a universal modular stand for acceptance and delivery tests of these units was concluded between AAL Group Ltd and the authorized organization for supplying products and equipment abroad, CJSC "VneshAviaTrans."

Let's add

The United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is one of the eleven unified commands of the US Department of Defense that provides the American agency with air, land, and sea transportation.

Recall

Earlier, UNN reported that in early August, the State Aviation Service of Ukraine reported on the allegedly successful resolution of the issue of maintaining repair documentation for Mi-8 type helicopters by identifying a company that would have the right to do so. The agency did not specify the company's name.

It later turned out that it was AAL Group Ltd, registered in the United Arab Emirates, in the Sharjah Airport International Free (SAIF) Zone – meaning a foreign company operating in an offshore jurisdiction. According to media reports, the ultimate beneficiary of AAL Group Ltd could be the Russian company "Russian Helicopters," which is part of the state defense concern "Rostec."

As a result of this decision, Ukrainian aircraft repair enterprises – including those servicing combat helicopters for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and other security sector structures – are obliged to coordinate their actions for the repair, maintenance, and modernization of Mi-8 helicopters with a company that may have ties to the Russian military-industrial complex. This includes, in particular, the coordination of technical documentation, repair specifications, the condition of individual aircraft, the scope of work, and other sensitive information of a defense nature.

Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, addressed parliamentary inquiries to the SBU for law enforcement to conduct an appropriate investigation into such an anti-state decision, and also to the Government with a demand to dismiss the head of the State Aviation Service, Oleksandr Bilchuk.

After the situation became public, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to temporarily suspend the head of the State Aviation Service, Oleksandr Bilchuk, and an official investigation is underway against him. In addition, the Security Service of Ukraine is also conducting a corresponding check, and the parliament is considering the possibility of creating a Temporary Investigative Commission.

"Ukroboronprom" opposed the transfer of maintenance of repair documentation for Mi-8 type helicopters to AAL Group Ltd, noting that among the risks of such a decision is the possibility of sensitive information leakage during the war.

Commenting on the situation, experts noted that Ukraine has certified domestic companies with relevant competencies that have been performing maintenance and repair of Mi-8 helicopters since 2014 and are included in state registers of service providers. At the same time, experts warn about the risks of information leakage regarding combat modifications of these helicopters, flight structure, and technical features of aircraft, which may complicate their further maintenance.

Thus, the decision of the State Aviation Service raises not only questions about national security but also casts doubt on the support of the domestic aviation manufacturer in general.