Profile
- Type
- Medium twin-turbine utility transport helicopter
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Origin
- Soviet Union / Russia
- Service note
- Introduced in the Soviet period and still in production and service
Aircraft & UAVs
Mi-8/Mi-17
The Mi-8/Mi-17 is a Soviet-designed medium utility helicopter family used for troop lift, cargo transport, evacuation, search-and-rescue, and armed support roles. Its large production run, 4,000 kg payload class, and widespread operator base make it one of the defining rotary-wing platforms in the Russia-Ukraine War, where Ukraine operates legacy and donor-supplied Mi-17 aircraft.
Service History
- In service
- Mi-8 family introduced in the late 1960s; Mi-17/Mi-8MT family remains in military and civil service
- Used by
- Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian Armed Forces, More than 100 countries
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
- Designed
- 1960s Mi-8 design family; Mi-17 export line developed from later Mi-8 variants
- Built in
- Russia
- Produced
- 1960s-present
- Number built
- More than 12,000 Mi-8/17 helicopters reported by Russian Helicopters
- Variants
- Mi-8AMT, Mi-8MTV-1, Mi-17, Mi-171, Mi-172
Specifications
- Crew
- Up to 3
- Passenger capacity
- Up to 26 passengers
- Payload
- Up to 4,000 kg internally or on an external sling
- Cruise speed
- 230 km/h
- Maximum speed
- 240 km/h
- Range
- 620 km with main fuel tanks
- Practical ceiling
- 6,000 m
- Maximum takeoff weight
- 13,000 kg
- Engines
- Two TV3-117VM turboshaft engines
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Ukraine
Ukrainian forces operate Mi-8/Mi-17-family utility helicopters, including U.S.-transferred Mi-17s announced in 2022 to improve lift capacity and support battlefield mobility during Russia's full-scale invasion.
Related Weapon Systems
Sea KingMulti-role maritime helicopterThe Sea King is the British-built Westland WS-61 version of the Sikorsky S-61, adapted for naval anti-submarine, search-and-rescue, utility, and transport missions. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Ukraine's Sea Kings come from allied donations rather than new production, giving Ukrainian naval aviation a proven twin-engine maritime helicopter for rescue, reconnaissance, coast guard support, and transport tasks.
Il-76Heavy military transport aircraftThe Il-76 is a four-engine Soviet-designed heavy transport aircraft built for military airlift, cargo delivery, troop movement, and rough-field operations. In the Russia-Ukraine War archive it is documented through Ukrainian Air Force Il-76MD use during the 2014 Luhansk airport air bridge, where one aircraft was destroyed while carrying troops and equipment.
Mi-24/Mi-35Attack helicopter and armed assault transportThe Mi-24/Mi-35 Hind family combines an armored attack helicopter with limited troop-carrying capacity, giving operators a platform for close air support, anti-armor fires, and armed escort. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Ukraine has used legacy and donated Mi-24V/Mi-35 airframes for low-level rocket attacks and adapted some Hinds to carry Western unguided rockets.
A1-CM FuriaFixed-wing tactical reconnaissance UAVThe A1-CM Furia is a Ukrainian electric fixed-wing tactical UAV built by Athlon Avia for reconnaissance and artillery fire correction. Developed after Ukraine's 2014 need for organic battlefield ISR, it gives Ukrainian units a portable sensor platform for locating targets, transmitting video, and adjusting indirect fire under wartime electronic-warfare pressure.
AN-196 LiutyiLong-range one-way attack UAVThe AN-196 Liutyi is a Ukrainian long-range one-way attack UAV developed after Russia began large-scale Shahed-type drone attacks. Open sources describe it as a runway-launched, twin-boom pusher aircraft built for deep strikes with a 75 kg-class warhead and a published range goal above 1,000 km, making it part of Ukraine's campaign against Russian refinery, logistics, industrial, and military targets far beyond the front line.
AQ-400 ScytheLong-range one-way strike UAVThe AQ-400 Scythe is a Ukrainian long-range one-way strike UAV developed by Terminal Autonomy for mass production and deep-strike missions. Its modular airframe, pusher-propeller layout, and visual/terrain-aided navigation are intended to provide Ukraine with a comparatively low-cost way to put a sizable payload hundreds of kilometers from the launch area under electronic-warfare pressure.Sources
Mi-8/17Publisher: Russian Helicopters | Note: Supports manufacturer background, production sites, general role, and published Mi-8/17 specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20$800 Million in Additional Security Assistance for UkrainePublisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict use by documenting security assistance transferred to Ukraine: 11 Mi-17 helicopters in an April 2022 U.S. drawdown package. | Accessed: 2026-06-20$700 Million in Additional Security Assistance for UkrainePublisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict use by documenting security assistance provided to Ukraine: four additional Mi-17 helicopters in a June 2022 U.S. package. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:Mi-17 Helicopter.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and license page for the Mi-17 photo used as the primary image; listed as Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic. | Accessed: 2026-06-20