The searches are connected with suspicions of illegal export of 59 airplanes and helicopters in the period from March 2022 to June 2023. According to the Ministry of Transportation, Rosaviatsia removed 36 of them from the Russian jurisdiction due to their sale to other countries. At the same time, the buyers of 21 aircraft were residents of states outside the EAEU, eight of which were sold to “unfriendly countries”.
According to the sources, three Mi-8 helicopters could have fallen into Ukraine’s possession after being exported abroad, while the Il-76 made flights with disabled responders. The publication notes that this practice is used to conceal information about cargo transportation routes.
