Article

2023-02-16 Afghanistan

VOA - Transfer of US-Procured Afghan Helicopters to Ukraine Underway

[Voice of America 4 May 2022] ISLAMABAD — The United States is giving Ukraine 16 Mi-17 helicopters that Washington had procured for Afghanistan, a U.S. government agency charged with monitoring Afghan events said Wednesday.
Yes VOA. Same three letter outfit, just different offices.
The Department of Defense (DOD) notified Congress in January that it intended to give the Ukrainian government five of the Russian-built helicopters, which had been undergoing maintenance at a Ukrainian facility.

"Ukraine accepted these excess defense articles on March 11," the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) noted in its quarterly report submitted to U.S. lawmakers this week.

The report added: "In mid-April, President (Joe) Biden announced a military assistance package to Ukraine that included an additional 11 Mi-17 helicopters that had been scheduled for Afghanistan."

Mi-17s are mostly used to carry troops and military equipment. Ukraine is one of the former Soviet Union republics which hosts production and repair facilities for the helicopters.

US equipment left in Afghanistan

Posted by Besoeker 2023-02-16 02:34|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

AFG 'equipment left behind' pieces finally falling into place. Who knew ?

Laptop? What laptop? So, how long until the 'cone of silence' is invoked ?

Article posted on Cassinga Day. Strange coincidence that.

Posted by Besoeker 2023-02-16 02:40|| 2023-02-16 02:40|| Front Page Top

#2
MI-17

Posted by Skidmark 2023-02-16 04:17|| 2023-02-16 04:17|| Front Page Top

#3 4 May 2022 - This happened 9 months ago. These helos were bought from Russia and were in the US being refitted with US avionics when Afghan gov fell.

Posted by Thruter Gloluger6393 2023-02-16 08:12|| 2023-02-16 08:12|| Front Page Top

#4 /\ Yes, most of us were able to read the date of publication. Some of us even watched the aircraft tranfers to huge RU aircraft at Ramstein AFB following the refits. The conflict in Ukraine has been going on now for several years. What you make of all of that ?

Posted by Uleash Smith6572 2023-02-16 08:30|| 2023-02-16 08:30|| Front Page Top

#5 The conflict in Ukraine has been going on now for several years. What you make of all of that ?

It means Russian invaded a neighbor to take over their territory and wipe out Ukrainian culture and population to accomplish that. I think the USA should help as much as possible the kick the Russians back to Russia. What do you make of the invasion? Do you support wiping Ukraine off the map?

Why is a rehash of a9 month old news story relevant to a site that republishes current news items? Are there any other 9 month old news on this site? Could the date have been overlooked when hitting the submit button? Or do you think it is some just revealed plot by Three Letter Agencies hatched 5 years to arm Ukraine by ordering Russian helicopters and then abandoning the government of Afghanistan? I hesitate gave our government such gift of foresight.

Posted by Thruter Gloluger6393 2023-02-16 08:56|| 2023-02-16 08:56|| Front Page Top

#6 /\ Why is a rehash of a9 month old news story relevant to a site that republishes current news items?

Excellent question TG.

It has the potential to point to a likely 'gun running' effort that may be connected to the Biden Crime Family decision to leave hardware behind in Afghanistan.

Posted by Besoeker 2023-02-16 10:19|| 2023-02-16 10:19|| Front Page Top

#7 Those helos were never in Afghanistan.

Posted by Thruter Gloluger6393 2023-02-16 10:21|| 2023-02-16 10:21|| Front Page Top

#8 /\ Those helos were never in Afghanistan.

Correct TG. Note the key phrase in the article. "procured for Afghanistan"

Posted by Besoeker 2023-02-16 10:30|| 2023-02-16 10:30|| Front Page Top

#9 We do, from time to time, publish older articles — sometimes many years older. Sometimes by accident, to be sure, but sometimes deliberately to see either how far we have come or how far we haven’t. Either way, because of who y’all are and what you know that I don’t, those discussions are also interesting.

Good catch on the date, Thruter Gloluger6393. The more scrutinizing eyes on this stuff, the better.

Posted by trailing wife 2023-02-16 10:42|| 2023-02-16 10:42|| Front Page Top

#10 They were procured at least 5 years ago. They were also donated to Ukraine along with a LOT more lethal stuff. Thinking that the helos or other US Afghan aid were intended for "gun running" to Ukraine is just too conspiracy for me unless you can show money flowed through Biden hands for then.

The US had bought several batches of Mi-17s for Afghanistan since 2001. They work better at high altitudes than the classic Blackhawk and Afghans already knew how to fly and maintain them. The last batch was still undergoing avionics upgrades in the US when Biden ordered that disastrous pullout. No one was predicting such a scenario 5 or more years ago, never mind a full scale invasion of Ukraine. The helos were a depreciating asset costing storage fees and were a good fit for Ukraine.

Posted by Thruter Gloluger6393 2023-02-16 10:48|| 2023-02-16 10:48|| Front Page Top

#11 Thanks trailing wife.

BTW, if there really was a conspiracy in Ukraine, I would expect the Biden admin to deny transfer of weapons to Ukraine. The money that flowed to Hunter Biden was Russian in origin. Burisma was formed by the Russian controlled eastern elites running the Ukrainian government at that time, in order to transfer all gas and oil exploration rights in Ukraine. It never drilled a well in Ukraine even though large gas deposits are under Ukraine.

Posted by Thruter Gloluger6393 2023-02-16 11:11|| 2023-02-16 11:11|| Front Page Top

#12 Gotta carry the AKs with something.

Seized Iranian Weapons Could Go To Ukraine: Report

Posted by Skidmark 2023-02-16 11:29|| 2023-02-16 11:29|| Front Page Top

#13 Why is a rehash of a9 month old news story relevant

I, for one, had not considered the Ukraine as a qualified operations and maintenance hub for Russian warcraft.

Posted by Skidmark 2023-02-16 11:33|| 2023-02-16 11:33|| Front Page Top

#14 /\ Thanks for your numma 12 Skid. I try to provides dates for the older articles I post. I didn't on this one. Will endeavor to improve my posting in the future. The point of my effort was of course 'gun running' and gun runners, the obvious pattern.

Posted by Besoeker 2023-02-16 12:14|| 2023-02-16 12:14|| Front Page Top

#15 Seized Iranian Weapons Could Go To Ukraine: Report

Not the first time. Seized Iranian mortars and ammo have been used in Ukraine for some months. Smaller arms are harder to identify. Now that the US is sending TOW missiles, expect seized Iranian copies to appear.

Posted by Thruter Gloluger6393 2023-02-16 12:18|| 2023-02-16 12:18|| Front Page Top

#16 /\ My point is, US weapons left in place after the pull-out in AFG could have, again could have been left there intentionally for exploitation elsewhere.

I believe I may have worn this one out.

Posted by Besoeker 2023-02-16 12:22|| 2023-02-16 12:22|| Front Page Top

#17 Actually the Russians are considering buying US weapons left in Afghanistan. There is $7 billion worth left there. They are already for sale to every Tom, Dmitri and Mahmud in the bazaars of Afghanistan and, I assume, Pakistan.

Posted by Thruter Gloluger6393 2023-02-16 12:31|| 2023-02-16 12:31|| Front Page Top

#18 /\ From your #17:

Biden has asked Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and six other Latin American nations to send their old Russian weapons to Ukraine in exchange for new U.S. military equipment.

Appears to be a significant gun running effort.

Posted by Besoeker 2023-02-16 12:46|| 2023-02-16 12:46|| Front Page Top

#19 Sure. Bet Cuba et al just can't wait to be dependent on the US for military equipment.

How about those seized drugs, they on the way to Ukraine as well?

Posted by swksvolFF 2023-02-16 13:01|| 2023-02-16 13:01|| Front Page Top

#20 Surprising, even considering who Joebama's friends are.

Posted by Thruter Gloluger6393 2023-02-16 13:05|| 2023-02-16 13:05|| Front Page Top

#21 Date aside, the article and most of the R-burg commentary has added to my knowledge about this - I don't recall having heard about it.

Posted by Anomalous Sources 2023-02-16 23:18|| 2023-02-16 23:18|| Front Page Top

#22 Btw, this now has a precedent.

Posted by Anomalous Sources 2023-02-16 23:37|| 2023-02-16 23:37|| Front Page Top

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