Ukraine using helicopters older than some of its pilots to defend against Russia

The war in Ukraine, launched by the Kremlin in February 2022, is largely an artillery war and territory is being fought for inch by inch under a barrage of shells and missiles

A Ukrainian pilot waves to his comrades from an Mi-8 combat helicopter during a combat mission in Donetsk region, Ukraine (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)

Ukraine continues to use Soviet-era attack helicopters older than some of its pilots to defend against Russian invaders.

They might fly three or four sorties a day, said one commander, whose two-crew Mi-24 helicopter, built about 40 years ago, is older than him.