Mi-8s destroy Russian drones, and their repair will be controlled by a company from the orbit of the Russian military-industrial complex - whose benefit is this decision?

While modernized Ukrainian Mi-8s shoot down drones used by Russia to attack Ukrainian cities, the State Aviation Service of Ukraine appoints a private foreign company with offshore registration and ties to the Russian military-industrial complex as the manager of repair documentation for these aircraft. UNN found out what is behind this decision and what risks it carries.

Technical upgrade of Mi-8 for combating Russian drones

Defense Express experts analyzed recent videos with a compilation of combat operations of Ukrainian aviation against Russian Shahed-type drones and noticed new modifications of Mi-8 helicopters.

Yurii Ihnat, head of the communications department of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that Mi-8s have been providing fire support to our troops on the ground, evacuating the wounded, and are actively involved in air defense since the first days of the full-scale invasion.

According to experts, while previously there were no additional modifications to the helicopters, and drones were shot down with standard weapons, now noticeable changes are visible.

Several improvements can be seen in the new footage. In particular, an optoelectronic targeting station with both a day camera and a thermal imager for night operation was installed in front of the front landing gear for target observation.

In addition, some machines were equipped with an American M134 Minigun machine gun, which has a caliber of 7.62 mm and a rate of fire of 3000 to 6000 rounds per minute. Thus, the new modifications of Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters will allow for more effective interception of targets.

Soviet legacy with new potential: why Mi-8s remain critically important for Ukraine

New technical solutions once again confirm that even Soviet-made equipment, such as Mi-8 helicopters, can remain extremely effective if timely modernized and properly maintained. This has been repeatedly emphasized by Army Aviation Commander Pavlo Bardakov, highlighting the critical importance of these machines for Ukraine. According to him, the main thing is that the equipment is in good working order and capable of effectively performing assigned tasks. Maintaining the combat readiness of aviation equipment involves a complex of measures: from searching for and purchasing spare parts abroad and import substitution to manufacturing parts at Ukrainian enterprises and even "cannibalization" - using individual elements from other helicopters. This work is ensured by close synergy between civil and military aviation, which allows for the most efficient use of available aviation resources.

However, in addition to the objective technical challenges of modernizing the Mi-8 – such as the constant need to find components, import substitution, and maintain production capacities – Ukrainian aviation was recently shaken by the emergence of an internal, artificially created risk. This refers to the decision of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine, headed by Oleksandr Bilchuk, to grant the right to accompany the repair documentation of Mi-8 type helicopters (Mi-8MTV-1 and Mi-17-1) not to a Ukrainian state enterprise with many years of experience, but to a private foreign company that, by many indications, appears to be connected with the Russian military-industrial complex.

Treason under the guise of "Mi-8 repair": aircraft entrusted to a company with a potential Russian trace

The importance of the State Aviation Service's decision lies in the fact that from now on, all Ukrainian enterprises that perform maintenance and modernization of Mi-8 helicopters are obliged to coordinate them with AAL Group Ltd. Here are a few facts about this company based on open sources:

• registered in the United Arab Emirates, specifically in the Sharjah Airport International Free (SAIF) zone, known as a popular offshore for Russian businessmen, which has tax benefits and strictly protects the confidentiality of beneficiaries;

• can independently perform all work on Mi-8 helicopter maintenance without involving other contractors, and thus monopolize this market segment;

• has certification directly from a Russian aviation plant, which is part of the "Russian Helicopters" holding, indicating its close working ties with the Russian military-industrial complex (some open sources state that the "Russian Helicopters" holding of the "Rostec" State Corporation is the real ultimate beneficiary of AAL Group Ltd);

• over the years of its existence and, probably, still actively trades with the Russian Federation;

• according to experts, it performed and continues to perform artisanal and contraband maintenance of "Mil" helicopters in Iraq and Afghanistan in the interests of the Kremlin, effectively helping "Rostec" launder money;

• in 2024, it announced cooperation with the South African defense group Paramount Group, which was suspected of supplying weapons to Russia, which were subsequently used against Ukraine.

Thus, whether consciously or not, the actions of the State Aviation Service effectively put Ukrainian enterprises in dependence on a foreign company. The irony also lies in the fact that instead of strengthening our own repair and production independence, we risk handing over the "keys" to the maintenance of critically important equipment to those whose track record can hardly be called friendly to Ukraine.

Experts and MPs against risky "experiments" of the State Aviation Service

The decision of the State Aviation Service caused sharp criticism among both specialized experts and people's deputies.

Thus, former Deputy Prosecutor General, lawyer Oleksiy Baganets noted that in the case of intentional preference given to enterprises associated with the business and economy of the aggressor country, this can be qualified as actions aimed at undermining the national security of our state.

Military-political observer of the "Information Resistance" group Oleksandr Kovalenko reminded that AAL Group Ltd has already discredited itself in the past and warned about serious risks of Ukraine's technical dependence, possible sabotage, or leakage of sensitive information to the aggressor country.

Among parliamentarians, there are also demands to cancel the decision. People's Deputy, member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence Fedir Venislavsky described it as "anti-state" and reported on an appeal on his behalf to the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prime Minister regarding the dismissal of the head of the State Aviation Service Oleksandr Bilchuk from his post.

People's Deputy Mykhailo Tsymbalyuk emphasized the economic inexpediency and unacceptability of such a step in wartime, and his colleague Yuriy Zdebsky called for a detailed legal assessment of the State Aviation Service's decision by the SBU and the National Police.

In general, the expert and political community unanimously believes that transferring control over the repair documentation of strategic aviation equipment to a company with a Russian trace creates a real threat to defense capability and requires immediate review.

UNN has already contacted the State Aviation Service and law enforcement agencies with requests for official comments and clarifications regarding the situation and its further development.