We are talking about six firefighters of the 32nd who do not have a license to operate in Portugal, and one of them is completely out of commission because of the accident.
Portugal provided six Russian Ka-32 firefighting helicopters to Ukraine. The last truck with part of this cargo left on Friday. Portuguese media reported this on Saturday, September 7, citing a statement from the country’s Ministry of Defense.
It is noted that in October 2022, the then Minister of Defense Helena Carreiras promised to send six Russian firefighting helicopters to Ukraine, which do not have a license to operate in Portugal, and one of them is completely out of order due to an accident.
In November 2023, more than a year after the transfer to Ukraine was announced, the helicopters were still in Portugal, where Lisbon said it was waiting for “the Ukrainian partner to indicate the next steps” in the process.
“After a long period of uncertainty and negotiations, the current government (…) agreed to the transport of helicopters to the Ukrainian authorities, including the Ukrainian embassy in Lisbon and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, ” said the Portuguese Ministry of Defense in a statement.
It was noted that Ukraine agreed to accept the helicopters in their current condition, that is, without preliminary repairs.
The Portuguese government bought these helicopters in 2006.
Earlier, Portugal announced that aid to Ukraine from Lisbon will reach 220 million euros in 2024, and plans to provide the same amount for Ukraine in 2025.
Portugal also allocated 100 million euros for shells for Ukraine.
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Source: korrespondent
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.