Aviation Unit in Crimea to Get Newest Helicopters During 2017

The aviation unit of the 4th Air and Air Defense army’s aviation, deployed in Crimea will get the newest Mi-35 attack and transport helicopters, according to spokesman of Russia's Southern Military District Col. Vadim Astafyev.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – An aviation unit deployed in Crimea will receive new Mi-35 attack helicopters in the near future and will be fully equipped with modern helicopters by the end of 2017, spokesman of Russia's Southern Military District Col. Vadim Astafyev said Wednesday.

"The aviation unit of the 4th Air and Air Defense army’s aviation, deployed in Crimea will get the newest Mi-35 attack and transport helicopters. The unit of the army aviation is set to be 100 percent provided with the newest samples of aviation equipment in 2017," Astafyev said.

Astafyev noted that Commander of Russia’s Southern Military District Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov had previously checked if there was a sufficient number of attack and transport helicopters, and assessed the capacity of the helicopters in service, which included, among others, the Mi-28NE combat helicopter, Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter and Mi-8 helicopters.

The goal of Dvornikov’s trip to the Crimean aviation unit was to check the operational readiness of the Black Sea Fleet and 4th Air and Air Defense army, according to Astafyev.

Crimea rejoined Russia in 2014, after 97 percent of Crimean residents supported the reunification at a regional referendum. Kiev and the West, however, have refused to recognize the results of the referendum.