The helicopters of the Russian armed forces, which were shot down during the rebellion of Yevgeny Prigozhin, could cost at least 3.6 billion rubles, calculated Russian media, after studying open data on the cost of their production. It is impossible to estimate the financial losses of the allegedly destroyed aircraft – it has not been produced since 1985.
By data The Telegram channel Fighterbomber, dedicated to military issues, during the PMC “Wagner” mutiny shot down a total of six helicopters and one plane. Vladimir Putin, speaking to Kremlin security forces on June 27, confirmed the deaths of the pilots. The Ministry of Defense has not officially commented on the loss of aircraft.
According to Fighterbomber, Wagner destroyed three Mi-8MTPR helicopters that perform electronic warfare functions, an Mi-8 multipurpose helicopter, a Ka-52 reconnaissance and attack helicopter, an Mi-35 transport and combat helicopter and a modified Il-18 aircraft. which served as an air traffic control centre. By data military commander Irina Kuksenkova, there were 10 people on board the plane, all of them died.
It is impossible to estimate the exact cost of the downed planes, taking into account all the modifications and the years of production. Therefore, the calculation was made based on data available in open sources.
Thus, in 2015, RIA Novosti writing that the Russian FSB will buy 5 Mi-35 helicopters. A helicopter, according to the tender, cost 556 million rubles.
According to the interlocutor of Russian media, close to the helicopter industry, the cost of the Mi-8 in the basic configuration is about 450 million rubles. In 2020, the Army Standard magazine, controlled by the Zvezda TV channel of the Ministry of Defense, wrote that the cost of the Mi-8MTPR, which performs the functions of electronic warfare, reaches 600 million rubles.
In 2011, the Ministry of Defense and PJSC “Arseniev Aviation Company” Progress “named after. NI Sazykin” concluded contract for the production of 140 Ka-52 helicopters. The cost of a helicopter then was about 857 million rubles.
It is impossible to estimate the financial losses related to the destruction of the Il-18: the plane was no longer produced in 1985.
On the evening of June 23, Yevgeny Prigozhin announced rocket fire at the rear positions of the Wagner PMC and said that 25,000 people would “understand why chaos is happening in the country.” On the same day, the FSB opened a criminal investigation against him for organizing an armed rebellion. The next day, June 24, PMC fighters entered Rostov-on-Don and occupied military installations there. On the evening of June 24, the press service of the President of Belarus reported that Alexander Lukashenko, “in agreement” with his Russian counterpart, held talks with Prigozhin. As a result, the PMC founder agreed to halt the advance towards Moscow. Russian President’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Prigozhin would leave for Belarus and the criminal case against him would be closed. On June 26, Vladimir Putin said that the fighters and commanders of the Wagner PMC units had taken the only right decision to prevent “fratricidal bloodshed.” He also offered them three options for the further development of events – to conclude a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense or other law enforcement agencies, return to relatives and friends or “leave for Belarus”. June 27, RIA Novosti, citing the FSB, reported that the case of the armed rebellion was closed. How claim in the special department, during the investigation of the case, it was established that its participants stopped actions aimed at committing a crime.
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