Croatia completes the preparation of Mi-8 helicopters to be transferred to Ukraine.

Croatian Jutarnji list newspaper reported this.

In March, Croatia is to launch an operation to send 14 transport helicopters to Ukraine.

Twelve Mi-8МТV-1 helicopters and two Mi-8Т were withdrawn from the Croatian Armed Forces.

According to available information, several helicopters are currently located on the territory of the aviation and technical center in Velika Gorica, where its employees are engaged in all the necessary technical preparation.

Some helicopters are located in the military enclave of the Pleso and Luchki airports.

“It is assumed that helicopters will be ready for transportation in about ten days,” the report said.

All 14 helicopters should arrive in Poland, from where they will be transported to Ukraine. According to the newspaper, seven helicopters will be partially dismantled and transported by ground, and the remaining seven will fly to Poland.

“The Croatian government has classified all information about military assistance to Ukraine, thus, it is impossible to obtain official confirmation of this information,” the newspaper noted.

The transfer of 14 transport helicopters was confirmed by Prime Minister Plenković last November, but no details were provided.

On the other hand, two months ago, President Milanović expressed dissatisfaction that the government was organizing a free transfer of helicopters and claimed that the Ministry of Defense did not explain to him how these helicopters would be replaced.

However, two days ago, when asked about the timeline of the helicopters arriving in Ukraine, he replied rather unselfishly: “I have no idea.” In September last year, the Head of the Defense Policy Directorate of the Croatian Ministry of Defense, reported that the country sent classified military assistance to Ukraine four times. Earlier, the Minister of Defense of Croatia said after one of the meetings of the Government that the country was shipping assault rifles and machine guns with ammunition to Ukraine.