MOSCOW. July 16 (Interfax-AVN) - The Moscow military district command has issued no official bans on the use of MI-8 Hip helicopters due to their wear, the district's press service reported on Tuesday.
"MI-8 helicopters of the Moscow military district continue to accomplish planned missions in the sphere of combat training support and life support in the district's units," the report says.
The press service refuted the information that the district's commander Colonel General Ivan Yefremov had issued a regulation banning the use of MI-8 helicopters in the district's territory.
At the same time a source in the army aviation headquarters told Interfax-Military News Agency that a recommendation had been issued to restrict the use of MI-8 helicopters for transportation of people and do it only when other means of transport are unavailable. According to the source, the recommendation is motivated by a large number of breakdowns and crashes of MI-8 helicopters.
A source in the Land Forces command said that the army aviation was operating nearly 1,500 helicopters. The share of new and up-to-date aircraft does not exceed three percent. A bit over 40 percent of the helicopters are operational. This share varies from 58 percent in the North Caucasus military district to 28 percent in other districts.