By Serhiy Zgurets, The Day
The Sri Lankan government has decided to purchase a number of new Mi-24 combat helicopters from Ukraine. 4 flying machines will be shipped to the country in the immediate future according to official information from Colombo.
It is expected that the Ukrainian combat machines will be used to fight the separatist group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Islam. Last year the regular army lost over a dozen helicopters in battles with the Tamil Tigers.
Traditionally, Ukrspetseksport neither confirms nor denies helicopter purchases. However, the arms agreements between Kyiv and Colombo are known to have a solid and long term basis. According to the international institute of world research in Stockholm, Sri Lanka purchased a large arms shipment in Ukraine between 1995-96: 7 An-32 transport planes, 16 combat infantry carriers, 6 Mi-24 helicopters, and the 3 Mi-17 helicopters.
A source in the Defense Ministry admitted that negotiations about selling a number of Mi-24 at $800,000 each are taking place. The purchaser intends to fly the machines to the plant in Konotop, where the helicopters will be made battle-ready. They say that the helicopters will be sent to one of the countries in Latin America and not to Sri Lanka.
Photo by Leonid Bakka, The Day:
Ukrainian helicopters in flight. Perhaps to Sri Lanka?
