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Russian Mi-2 helicopter crashed whilst carrying out agricultural work in Kuban region

Mi-2 helicopter

On Wednesday, 24 June, a Mi-2 multi-purpose light helicopter crashed in the Krasnodar Krai of the Russian Federation.

According to Censor.NET, this is reported by the Russian media.

What is known?

Russian media are reporting that a helicopter crashed whilst carrying out agricultural work in the Krasnodar Krai. According to preliminary reports, there was one man on board. TASS later reported that the pilot had been killed.

Details

Mi-2 (NATO designation: Hoplit) — a Soviet multi-purpose light helicopter developed in the early 1960s at the M. L. Mil Design Bureau. It was the first Soviet production helicopter to be powered by gas turbine engines.

Although the Mi-2 was designed by Soviet engineers, its mass production was carried out entirely in Poland at the PZL-Świdnik factory, where over 5,400 units were produced between 1965 and 1998.

Key features and intended use:

  • Crew: 1 person.

  • Passenger capacity: up to 8 people (or 700 kg of cargo in the cabin).

  • Power plant: two GTD-350 gas turbine engines.

  • Top speed: 210 km/h.

  • Flight range: up to 580 km.

Amid a full-scale war against Ukraine, the Russian army and security forces (in particular the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Russian National Guard), due to an acute shortage of modern equipment and sanctions, continue to use these deeply obsolete vehicles for:

  • Aerial monitoring and patrolling of rear areas;

  • Training flights for young pilots;

  • The transport of small consignments or medical evacuations deep within the Russian Federation (such as in the Krasnodar Krai).