Russia Buys Back Helicopter Engines from Partner Countries

8 November, 2023 TV3-117 engine of the Mi-8 helicopter. Photo credits: ??????.?? Moscow is asking for the return of more than a hundred previously sold engines from Egypt, Pakistan, Belarus, and Brazil.

Sources told The Wall Street Journal that when the Russian army lost dozens of helicopters at the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia turned to Egypt for help. Last April, a delegation of Russian officials visiting Cairo asked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to give back 150 engines from Russian Mi-17 helicopters. At the same time, Egypt initially planned to supply missiles to Russia, but abandoned this idea under pressure from the United States.

The talks in Cairo were part of Russia's broader attempts to reach out to its longtime customers, who have been buying Russian aircraft, missiles, and air defense systems for decades.

Destroyed Russian Mi-8 helicopter in the Kharkiv region. March 2022. Photo credits: @raging545

The terms of the agreement are described by the sources as follows: Moscow forgives Cairo's arrears in payment for previous arms supplies (some of the transfers were disrupted due to restrictions on Russian banks' work with the SWIFT system), continues to supply wheat to Egypt and does not withdraw its military advisers, and Cairo quickly returns 150 engines.

In addition, Egypt refused the U.S. request to supply weapons to Ukraine. Following the negotiations, the engines are expected to return to Russia in December. Since the start of the war, Russia has also held talks with Pakistan, Belarus, and Brazil, a former Russian intelligence officer told the WSJ.

Russia has also asked Pakistan for at least four Mi-35M engines from helicopters that it previously sold. Belarus sold six Mi-26 heavy-transport helicopter engines back to Moscow. Russia has asked Brazil to buy back 12 engines from Mi-35M military-helicopter engines that Brazil decommissioned last year.

Mi-35M helicopter of the Air Force of Belarus.

August 2023. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Belarus

The Brazilian Foreign Ministry said it had abandoned the deal. Russia's need for arms has also affected its exports, which in some cases has led to the disruption of deals, especially for ground forces weapons systems.

At the same time, in August 2023, the Belarusian Air Force received a batch of Russian Mi-35M helicopters.