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Russia delivers shipment of Mi-28N Night Hunter combat helicopters to Iraq

By Nikolai Litovkin, Russia Beyond the Headlines
Russia's Mi-28N Night Hunter helicopter. Photo by Alan Wilson/Wikimedia Commons
Russia's Mi-28N Night Hunter helicopter. Photo by Alan Wilson/Wikimedia Commons

Russia's arms export agency Rosoboronexport has delivered a dozen Mi-28N Night Hunter helicopters to Iraq in accordance with a 2012 agreement, says a source within the Russian defense industry.

"The contract indicates that a total of 48 Mi-28N helicopters will be supplied to the Iraqi air force," said the source.

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According to Dmitry Safonov, military observer at the Izvestiya newspaper, the contract to supply Iraq with the helicopters is estimated at $4.2 billion and the cost of the combat helicopters -- with equipment and arms -- that have already been supplied is more than $1 billion.

Mi-28N helicopters were used in the operation to liberate the city of Palmyra in Syria, which ended on March 27.

This video shows the destruction of an Islamic State armored vehicle with the help of guided anti-tank missiles and afterward, the elimination of militants in a Palmyra house.

This is the first evidence of the use of the Night Hunter against IS militants. Earlier, these helicopters were used only for guarding the Kheimim airbase, where the Russian air force group was stationed.

This article originally appeared at Russia Beyond the Headlines.

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