KHANKALA, January 22 (AVN) - Federal MI-8 Hip, MI-24 Hind and MI-26 Halo choppers have flown over 30 sorties in Chechnya since Sunday, a spokesman for the unified federal headquarters told the Military News Agency.
Their missions consisted in escorting four convoys and providing fire support for ground troops.
An IR imager-equipped MI-8 helicopter accomplished two missions, detecting 22 targets, which were later shelled by artillery. According to preliminary data, three rebel strongpoints were destroyed.
SU-24 Fencer frontline bombers and SU-25 Frogfoot attack planes were grounded due to adverse weather conditions.
An IL-18 Coot transport airlifted 110 people and 2t of cargo from Mozdok, the main federal base in the North Caucasus, to central Russia. MI-26 helicopters carried over 50 people and some 3t of cargo to the republic's hard-to-reach areas fulfilling requests of the military.