Russia thwarts plan to smuggle military contraband to Ukraine
In a statement on Monday, the FSB reported that the contraband scheme involved six individuals from Russia, Ukraine, and the Middle East, and was coordinated by a 'subject' of a foreign state residing abroad, without naming the country.
The group allegedly used commercial contractors to procure new components for Russian-made Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters from manufacturing and operating companies. The parts were later intended to be illegally transported across the border, the FSB said, estimating that they could have been utilized to restore at least four helicopters.
The total value of the contraband is estimated at over 400 million rubles ($5 million), the statement read, adding that the agency continues to investigate.
A video released by the FSB shows two individuals, one handcuffed and with a concealed face, standing next to two large containers, one of which is filled with items resembling helicopter parts.
The Mi-8, the world's most-produced helicopter, was first introduced in the 1960s and is primarily used for auxiliary roles on the battlefield, including troop transport and medical evacuation.
The Mi-17, introduced in the late 1970s, is an export variant with upgraded engines and rotor systems, and is generally used for the same purposes.
Since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, Ukraine has been scouring the world for Soviet-era equipment to maintain its existing fleet, often cannibalizing decommissioned units for spare parts. To assist Kiev, Western countries have supplied Ukraine with large quantities of their own outdated Soviet-era equipment, which Ukraine typically has much less difficulty operating and maintaining than foreign-manufactured equipment.
Russia has consistently denounced Western arms shipments to Ukraine, warning that they only prolong the conflict without changing its outcome.
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