The Ministry of National Defense of Portugal transferred the first promised Ka-32 helicopters to Ukraine.

Sicnoticias reported on this.

On Friday, September 6, the disassembled Ka-32 helicopters were loaded onto trucks and shipped to Ukraine from Ponte de Sor.

The Portuguese government expressed its intention to transfer Ka-32 firefighting helicopters back in 2022, but the process was stalled due to the change of government.

In 2023, negotiations on further steps and coordination with the Ukrainian authorities continued.

Ukraine will receive a total of six helicopters of this type, which the military can use for various tasks.

“After a long period of uncertainty and negotiations, the current government, through the MDN, together with the Ministry of the Interior, has agreed on the transportation of the helicopters with the Ukrainian authorities, in particular the Ukrainian Embassy in Lisbon and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine,” the Portuguese government stated.

The Ministry of Internal Administration, then headed by António Costa, purchased the Ka-32 helicopters in 2006.

Ка-32 is a civil development of the Ка-27PS search and rescue helicopter, developed by the Kamov Design Bureau.

It is designed to perform various tasks, such as cargo transportation, rescue operations, firefighting, and construction and installation work.

Militarnyi previously reported that Moscow calls on Portugal to refrain from transferring Russian Ka-32A11VS helicopters to Kyiv.

Russia says that Lisbon has no right to transfer Russian-made helicopters to anyone without Russia’s consent.