Ukraina - Russiske helikoptre får D-Dag invasjonstriper - The Aviationist

 

Russian Helicopters Have Started Operating With New Invasion Markings In Ukraine

March 6, 2022 Helicopters, Military Aviation, Russia, Troubled Areas, War in Ukraine

STEFANO D'URSO

Screenshots from Russian TV showing the Mi-24/35 and Mi-8/17 with the new markings.

The new markings might be intended to help the identification of Russian helicopters and reduce the risk of friendly fire.

Since the first day of the invasion in Ukraine, various symbols appeared on Russian vehicles; these symbols were reportedly applied to both identify Russian units (as in many cases were stripped of their standard markings) and another piece of info that has not been decoded yet. According to some analysts, it could either indicate a task force for one precise target or the staging area from where the ground forces started the invasion (Crimea, Russia, Belarus).

Over the course of last week similar symbols started to appear also on Russian helicopters. These markings surfaced online both in photos and videos of low flying helicopters posted on social medias and also in a Russian TV report. The helicopters spotted with the new markings are the Mi-8/17 Hip and Mi-24/35 Hind, which showed three white vertical bands on the tail boom and a white “V” on the rear and on the sides of the fuselage. These markings remind the D-Day markings.