North Macedonia has decided to give its 12 Mi-24 combat helicopters to Ukraine. 

The Minister of Defence, Sllavajnka Petrovska, told the media in Skopje that their donation is made at the request of the Ukrainian Government, but also the assessments of the Macedonian Army that "the release of these military equipment will not damage the defence capacities of North Macedonia". 

"All the equipment that has been donated so far has to do with the request of the Ukrainian authorities, who are able to use them, but also to maintain them. According to our modernization plans, these devices are already at the end of their useful life and will not be an integral part of our armament. If we did not donate them, we are sure that in a short period of time we would have to dispose of them", said Petrovska. 

She said that the Ministry of Defence will buy at least eight new helicopters for more purposes, which will primarily have a transport role, not a combat one. 

"When we have made plans for the transformation of our army, based on our military capabilities and NATO's plans, the combat component of the helicopter unit would no longer be operational and we will be oriented to transport helicopters that would have primarily as an obligation to meet the needs of the army, but of course they will be able to perform other tasks that are of wider interest to the citizens", declared the Minister of Defence of North Macedonia, Slavjanka Petrovska. 

North Macedonia has also donated third generation tanks to Ukraine, which considering the development of technology, they were considered non-competitive and incompatible. 

North Macedonia's overall aid to Ukraine amounts to 30 million dollars. 

Since the first days of the Russian aggression, North Macedonia has supported the Government in Kiev, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, while supporting all decisions on sanctions against Russia. 

North Macedonia bought the first Mi-24 helicopters from Ukraine in 2001 during the armed conflict between government forces and the National Liberation Army. After the end of the conflict, the number of helicopters increased to 12 and in parallel their modernization was done, this process was interrupted in the last two years due to the assessments of the General Staff that the army in its future development does not need this type of combat helicopters, but aircraft manufactured in Western Europe or the United States. 

Mi-24 helicopters were used in the war in Afghanistan, in the war between Iraq and Iran, in the conflicts in South America, during the Russian-Chechen wars, but also in the Balkans during the breakup of Yugoslavia.