During the defense of Mariupol from the Russian occupation army in 2022, special operations forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted seven successful helicopter sorties to transfer ammunition to Azovstal defenders, evacuate the wounded and deliver volunteers.
.in_text_content_22 { width: 300px; height: 600px; } @media(min-width: 600px) { .in_text_content_22 { width: 580px; height: 400px; } }
The commander of the MTR, Viktor Khorenko, talks about this in an interview, a video published on the YouTube channel of the MTR of Ukraine.
According to the general, the soldiers went on these flights to the blocked Mariupol and to the blockaded Azovstal plant voluntarily. The main purpose of these missions is to deliver ammunition.
When ten volunteers come and say: “We want to fly to defend Azovstal,” difficult decisions have to be made. What to deliver: BC, medicines, communications equipment or people who will protect,” recalls Khorenko.
He noted that challenges arose when there were 15 tons of cargo on board, and one helicopter could only carry about two people.
The operation took minutes to complete, and the unloading should not exceed 10 minutes,” the general said.
Khorenko added that he was in direct contact with the commander of the Azov National Guard special forces brigade, Denis Prokopenko. At the same time, Radish himself, even at that moment, did not realize that he was communicating with the commander of the Special Forces.
Let us recall that earlier the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Kirill Budanov, indicated that 16 Mi-8 helicopters flew to Azovstal, including with reinforcements for Azov. However, during the fifth and seventh missions, two helicopters were shot down. The enemy also shot down another helicopter that flew to rescue one of the crews.
Last year, on May 16, the Ukrainian command ordered the lives of Azovstal defenders to be saved, after which about 2,500 military personnel left the plant, and the Ukrainian side is working on their exchange.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.