Poland Delivers About Dozen Mi-24 Helicopters to Ukraine - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Poland has recently handed over about a dozen Soviet-designed Mil Mi-24 large attack helicopters to Kiev, but Ukraine's fleet still remains "small" compared with the capacity of the Russian air systems, a newspaper reported on Sunday, citing sources.

The aircraft delivery has not been previously disclosed, the newspaper reported.

Western countries have been providing financial, humanitarian and military support to Ukraine since the start of Russia's military operation in February 2022. The support evolved from lighter artillery munitions and training in 2022 to heavier weapons, including tanks, later that year and in 2023. The Kremlin has consistently warned against further arms deliveries to Kiev, saying they would be regarded as a legitimate military target.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in June that the alliance would begin the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets that summer. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that a possible supply of F-16 fighters to Ukraine would become another escalation, as there is a modification of the fighter capable of carrying nuclear weapons.