File image.
On August 11, the Taliban seized a Mi-35 attack helicopter that was left behind by Afghan government forces at Kunduz Airport in northeastern Afghanistan.
The helicopter was one of several which India bought and repaired in Belarus then gifted to Afghanistan in 2019. The Mi-35 is the export version of the Mi-24V, which can be armed with 9M114 Shturm anti-tank guided missiles.
Afghan government forces removed the helicopter’s rotor blades and stored them right under it before withdrawing from the airport. It is still unclear why the attack helicopter was not moved to another base or destroyed before the withdrawal.
Video reportingly shows #Taliban captured Kunduz airport with #Afghanistan Air Force Mi-35 Hind attack helicopter pic.twitter.com/u7jZJdR800
— Joseph Dempsey (@JosephHDempsey) August 11, 2021
Taliban fighters captured vast parts of Kunduz, including the capital of the province in the last 24 hours. According to the group’s claims, some 3,000 Afghan service members surrendered and handed over several aircrafts and more than 500 vehicles.
Footage from different parts of Kunduz confirms that the Taliban seized at least dozens of military vehicles, mainly US-made Humvees.
#Kunduz Air field,ANDSF soldiers surrenderd to #Taliban.They brought their rifles and vehicles. pic.twitter.com/nMpppcB7J3
— Spoils of war (@SpoilOfWar) August 11, 2021
— Spoils of war (@SpoilOfWar) August 11, 2021
The Taliban’s victory in Kunduz was a major blow to the Afghan government. The US abandoned its allies in Afghanistan while knowing very well that they are not ready to face the Taliban on their own. The weapons supplied by the US are now in the hands of the Taliban.
With the weapons captured in Kunduz, the Taliban will likely advance faster and further then before in northeastern Afghanistan.
WHAAAT, they cannot fly it or do damage to the Afghan army in any way. They can just keep it as a souvenir
They can prevent it from going back into circulation thereby killing and causing damage to a Taliban who do not have any way to protect themselves from any kind of aerial offensive, hence the assasination of pilots.
They have at least four surrendered pilots as of yesterday.
This MI-35 would a good addition to any war museum, it is well past its operational stage.
Amid the Taliban blitz in capturing Afghanistan, one of the two Mi-24 attack helicopter donated by India to the Afghanistan forces has been captured. The other had crashed earlier near Bagram. Both were in poor shape as India never provided the required spares or weapons. The AAF only was able to fly a few Hughes MD-500 as semi recon and light gunships, the Blackhawk for limited COIN and transport along with the ever reliable Russian Kazan built MI-17. The US promised 300 aircraft but delivered less than a 100. The ANA was corrupt to the core and never really had a chance. On paper, there are 70,000 armed men around Kabul, but in reality I don’t see them holding out.
Had look at Afghan Air Force inventory on Wikipedia – it still lists well over 100 Black-Hawks on back order for delivery. That order likely approved many years ago in US, but given reality on ground, over last decade, was never going to be fulfilled. The US CIA sent batches of Stinger missiles to Afghan mujahedin in 1980’s, to counter Soviet advantage of their Hinds. But then after 1989 Soviet withdrawal, US had to spend years and millions tracking down and buying back these weapons from non state militias and arms dealers. US politicians claimed the Stinger operation was a great Cold War success in 80’s era media, but the public officials in military and CIA who had to then clean up the mess, of advanced MANPADS being traded around by non state actors in early to mid 1990’s weren’t so vocal or exuberant.
Yes, US promises the moon and delivers nothing. They are the main reason for the mess in Afghanistan by arming various factions and even calling them the equals of US founders. $120 billion was officially spent on arming, training and sustaining the ANA, but over half was siphoned off by the corrupt US, CIA and ANA officers.
It’s probably not fly worthy. At least Needs blades. Besides US has been bombarding their captured equipment
If they couldn’t fly it out it was already firmly in the spare parts boneyard.
These were already in very poor shape as India, which had donated the two MI-35 was not able to supply spares of training. Only Russia or Iran can refurbish them. The AAF is on the verge of total collapse unless the remaining 50-60 operational aircraft escape to Iran for safety like Iraq did, there will be nothing left. The midway AAF base at Shindad is semi operational and can be used for refueling, but will fall in the next week or so. The window for Afghan military officers to escape is narrowing very fast. There is a good chance that Kabul will call by September 11, the so-called US convoluted rationale to illegally invade and destroy Afghanistan and kill a million unarmed people.
“It is still unclear why the attack helicopter was not moved to another base or destroyed before the withdrawal.”
My guess is the Taliban are scoffing at the collapsing puppet regime’s inability to recover it, and I would also guess that they’re correct.
The collapse of the Afghan Army is excellent news for the military industrial complex pimps in the US and elsewhere. With the loss of so much equipment, the psychopathic degenerates in the State Department and Pentagon will have to order replacements. $$$$$! it is always Christmas time for them.
They should have saved a couple of the pilots they killed .. They would have just flown over the border anyway .. Not much good to them if they don’t have someone to fly it.
I don’t think the Taliban fighters are in the mood to give mercy to pilots who bombed, rocketed and strafed them.
The Afghan Finance Minister has fled to US and the Defence Minister has joined the Taliban. It will depend on the ANA war crimes against civilians, if some are charged.
Birth of the Taliban Air Force…
Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah I hope they are killed by the Taliban then Afghanistan has a chance to get a new government like Gaddafi or something
Remember whiteman talk with forked tongue And USA/Britain/NATO have invaded Afghanistan based on subtle Racial war Saddest thing I have observed and read is Devious USA/British/ REMEMBER WHITEMAN TALK WITH FORKED TONGUE NATO lie about Taliban being taken as the truth and Taliban being Portrayed as being INTRANSIGENT AND NOT WILLING TO COMPROMISE EXACT MANTRA THAT WAS DISHED OUT BY USA AGAINST IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARIES LED BY KHOMEINI in 1979 When CIA tried their level best to impose their Puppet Mehdi Bazergan As compromised Candice giving illusion of having popular support with their mass media blitz Khomeini flatly refused and Exact positron isBy Taliban that GHANI and his gang are CIA/Indian Puppets must go peacefully Talks in Doha are waste of Time