“Unique operation”: scouts showed how weapons were delivered to Azovstal
The Central Intelligence Agency has released a video of Ukrainian defenders delivering weapons and ammunition to Azovstal fighters by helicopter.
Source: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine
Quote: "In order to deliver the much-needed weapons and ammunition to the defenders of Mariupol, helicopters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and special forces of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine carried out a unique operation."
Background:
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- The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, said that a total of 16 Mi-8 military helicopters flew to the Azovstal defenders in Azovstal to provide help, and once with 72 soldiers of the Azov Regiment on board.
- Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, told Ukrayinska Pravda for the first time about the operation of delivering ammunition, provisions and medicines by helicopter to Azovstal. At that time, the defenders of Mariupol were still under siege by Russian troops on the territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking after the evacuation of the Ukrainian military from Azovstal, said in an interview with the host of the Unified Telethon that 90% of pilots did not return home from these helicopter operations.
In an interview with Ukrayinska Pravda, Andriy Biletskyi, the founder and first commander of the Azov Regiment, said that the last two attempts by helicopters to deliver the necessary supplies for the defenders of Mariupol had failed. He also said that these operations were unprecedented in world history and added that during one such flight, five doctors flew in from the Dnieper, including a surgeon and an anesthesiologist.
