The debris of eight Hurricane fighter planes was discovered in the Kyiv region

The debris of eight British WW2 Hurricane fighter planes was discovered buried in a forest in the Kyiv region.

BBC reported on this.

The fighter planes were discovered during demining operations when an unexploded bomb dating back to World War II was found near the burial site.

Britain transferred the aircraft to the Soviet Union as part of military support for the USSR, paid for by the United States under the Lend-Lease agreement.

Aviation experts note that this is the first time that the remains of so many Hurricanes have been discovered in Ukraine.

“It is very rare to find this aircraft in Ukraine,” says Oleksii Shtan, Head of the excavation operation.

In total, the USSR received about 3,000 British aircraft through the lend-lease. Most were either destroyed in combat or later dismantled for parts.

“The Hurricanes are a symbol of British assistance during the years of the Second World War, just as we are very appreciative of British assistance nowadays,” Valerii Romanenko, Head of Research at the National Aviation Museum of Ukraine, says.

Within the Lend-Lease legislation, the USSR was required to pay for any donated military equipment that remained intact after hostilities ended.

Some Hurricanes were deliberately broken up and buried after the war so the Soviets did not have to pay back the United States. This was the fate of the eight Hurricanes found buried.

On-board weapons, avionics, radio stations, nodes, and aggregates that could be useful were removed from the fighter planes. After that, the planes were partially disassembled and buried in a ravine.

According to available information, there are only 14 Hurricane fighter aircraft capable of flying left in the world.

The planes discovered in the Kyiv region are planned to be reassembled and put on display.