SIPRI records second-hand Mi-17 transport helicopter deliveries to Ukraine after the 2022 Russian invasion from the United States, Slovakia, Latvia, Croatia, and Lithuania, plus a separate Croatian transfer of Mi-8T helicopters in 2023. U.S. releases separately listed Mi-17 drawdowns for Ukraine, while Oryx records Russian Mi-8 transport and Mi-8MTPR-1 electronic-warfare helicopter losses during the full-scale invasion.
Role detailsAircraft & UAVs
Mi-8/Mi-17
Also known as
- Mi-8
- Mi-17
- Mil Mi-8
- Mil Mi-17
- Mi-8T
- Mi-8AMT
- Mi-8MT
- Mi-8MTV-1
- Mi-8MTPR-1
- Mi-171
- Mi-171A1
- Mi-171Sh
- Mi-172
- Mi-17V-5
- Hip
- Hip-C
- Hip-H
The Mi-8/Mi-17 is a Soviet-designed medium utility helicopter family used for troop lift, cargo transport, evacuation, search-and-rescue, electronic-warfare, armed support, and helicopter-borne boarding roles. Its large production run, 4,000 kg payload class, current Mi-8AMT/Mi-8MTV-1/Mi-171/Mi-172 production branches, and wide export base make it a recurring rotary-wing platform across conflicts from Afghanistan and Syria to Ukraine and the Red Sea crisis.
Role in Conflicts
The Syrian Arab Air Force used Mi-8/17-family helicopters during the war for transport to isolated garrisons, casualty evacuation, improvised bombing missions, and specialized Mi-17 electronic-warfare configurations.
Role details- Side
- Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan fielded Mi-8 transport helicopters in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war; early reporting and aviation-loss records linked at least one Azerbaijan Air Force Mi-8 loss near Tartar to the first day of renewed fighting.
The Libyan National Army fielded Mi-8-family transport helicopters during the 2014-2020 Libyan Civil War; Aviation Safety Network records list an LNA Mi-8 at Abu Grein on 7 September 2020, within the final phase of the war.
MINUSMA used Mi-8/Mi-17-family helicopters in Mali for mission air mobility, including an Indonesian TNI Mi-17 helicopter task force and Mi-8 aircraft assigned around Mopti for transport, supply movement, and CASEVAC coverage.
- Side
- State Administration Council and allied forces
In the 2021 Myanmar Civil War, VOA reported that Mi-17 helicopters were used in the September 2022 airstrike on Let Yet Kone school.
Afghan Air Force Mi-17 helicopters were used for combat resupply, troop movement, casualty evacuation, and limited armed support during the 2001 War in Afghanistan, including Kunar Valley resupply in 2011, emergency outpost resupply from Jalalabad in 2013, and armed overwatch reporting ahead of the 2015 fighting season.
Role details- Side
- Houthi movement
Houthi-aligned forces used a Mi-171Sh-family transport helicopter to land armed fighters on the Galaxy Leader during the November 2023 Red Sea hijacking.
Profile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- Soviet Union / Russia
- Built in
- Russia
- Type
- Medium twin-turbine utility transport helicopter
- Service note
- Introduced in the Soviet period and still in production and service
- Designer
- Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
- Designed
- 1960s Mi-8 design family; Mi-17 export line developed from later Mi-8 variants
- Produced
- 1960s-present
- Number built
- More than 12,000 Mi-8/17 helicopters reported by Russian Helicopters
Specifications
- Crew
- Up to 3
- Passenger capacity
- Up to 26 passengers
- Payload
- Up to 4,000 kg internally or on an external sling
- Cruise speed
- 230 km/h
- Maximum speed
- 240 km/h
- Range
- 620 km with main fuel tanks
- Practical ceiling
- 6,000 m
- Static ceiling out of ground effect
- 3,980 m
- Cargo cabin volume
- 27 m3
- Maximum takeoff weight
- 13,000 kg
- Engines
- Two TV3-117VM turboshaft engines
- Operating temperature range
- -50 C to +50 C, according to Russian Helicopters
- Reported fleet footprint
- More than 12,000 produced and supplied to more than 100 countries, according to Russian Helicopters
Variants
The Mi-8/Mi-17 record covers the broader Mil transport-helicopter family: Mi-8T/Hip-C represents an early standard Mi-8 transport branch, while Mi-17 is commonly used for export versions of later Mi-8-family helicopters. Russian Helicopters lists Mi-8AMT, Mi-8MTV-1, Mi-171, Mi-171A1, and Mi-172 among current production models.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mi-8T | Early Mi-8 transport variant | Vertipedia identifies the Mi-8T as a Mi-8-family military variant with NATO reporting name Hip-C, production beginning in 1965, TV2-117A engines, and a 24-troop cabin capacity; WeaponSystems.net describes it as the standard transport version of the Mi-8. Sources: Mil Mi-8T (Military), Mil Mi-8T |
| Mi-8AMT | Current Mi-8/17 production model | Russian Helicopters lists Mi-8AMT among the Mi-8/17 models still in production. Sources: Mi-8/17 |
| Mi-8MTV-1 | Current Mi-8/17 production model | Russian Helicopters lists Mi-8MTV-1 among current Mi-8/17 production models. Sources: Mi-8/17 |
| Mi-17 | Export-family designation | Mi-17 functions as an export designation family rather than a single configuration, and conflict sources often use Mi-8, Mi-17, or Mi-8/17 labels across related aircraft. Sources: Mi-8/17 |
| Mi-17V-5 | Military-transport export variant | Rosoboronexport reported Mi-17V-5 deliveries under a U.S. contract for the Afghan National Army, illustrating one export transport branch used in Afghanistan. Sources: Russia has delivered 12 Mi-17V-5 helicopters to the U.S. for the Afghan National Army |
| Mi-171 | Current Mi-8/17 production model | Russian Helicopters lists Mi-171 among current production models in the Mi-8/17 family. Sources: Mi-8/17 |
| Mi-171Sh | Armed assault-transport export variant | Rosoboronexport describes the Mi-171Sh as a modern Mi-8/17/171 military transport version with guided and unguided armament, up to 37 paratroopers, and a 4,000 kg payload. Sources: Mi-171Sh |
| Mi-171A1 | Current Mi-8/17 production model | Russian Helicopters lists Mi-171A1 among current production models in the Mi-8/17 family. Sources: Mi-8/17 |
| Mi-172 | Current Mi-8/17 production model | Russian Helicopters lists Mi-172 among current production models in the Mi-8/17 family. Sources: Mi-8/17 |
Carried Munitions
| Carried item | Item type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Anti-ship cruise missile | Iran Press says the Qader anti-ship cruise missile can be installed on aircraft such as the Mil 17 helicopter. Sources: Qader anti-ship missile capable against coastal targets, boats |
 | Improvised chlorine chemical munition | OPCW identified the Mi-8/17 helicopter as the air platform that carried and dropped the chlorine cylinders used in the Douma attack. Sources: Third Report by the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team, Douma |
 | 80 mm unguided air-to-ground rocket | Yugoimport identifies the B8V20 launcher for 80 mm unguided airborne rockets as part of the armament of Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopters and their modifications. Sources: Yugoimport B8V20 rocket launcher |
Launch Platform
| Launched item | Item type | Launch evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Wire-guided anti-tank missile | Armatec lists the Mi-8 family among helicopter launch platforms for the 9M14 Malyutka. Sources: Armatec 9M14 Malyutka |
Timeline
Mi-8/Mi-17 Key Events
Afghan Mi-17s fly emergency resupply
DVIDS documented two Afghan Air Force Mi-17 helicopters launching from Jalalabad Airfield for an emergency resupply mission after an outpost attack in eastern Afghanistan.
U.S. announces Mi-17 transfer to Ukraine
A U.S. Department of Defense drawdown announcement listed 11 Mi-17 helicopters among security assistance for Ukraine.
U.S. assistance fact sheet reaches 20 Mi-17s
A September 2022 U.S. Department of Defense fact sheet listed 20 Mi-17 helicopters committed for Ukraine.
SIPRI records Mi-8T transfers to Ukraine
SIPRI's transfer register records a Croatian delivery of Mi-8T helicopters to Ukraine in 2023, separate from Mi-17-family deliveries from several other donors after the full-scale Russian invasion.
Mi-171Sh-family helicopter used in Galaxy Leader boarding
TWZ identified the helicopter in the Houthi Galaxy Leader raid video as a Mi-171Sh variant transport helicopter used to land armed fighters on the ship.
Family And Mission Notes
Mi-8/Mi-17 sources often mix family labels, export designations, and mission kits. The record treats Mi-8, Mi-17, and Mi-8/17 references as one family only when the source context supports that reading.
Family identity
Russian Helicopters presents Mi-8/17 as a large-production medium utility helicopter family designed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and built at Kazan Helicopters and Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant.
Mi-8T baseline
Mi-8T is an early Hip-C transport branch inside the family; specialist references distinguish it from later Mi-8MT, Mi-17, Mi-171, and Mi-8MTV branches.
Transport role
The manufacturer describes cargo, passenger, rescue, flying-hospital, and firefighting models, with a 4,000 kg internal or external-sling payload class.
Conflict roles
Direct conflict rows identify specific operators or mission contexts, including Ukrainian transfers, Russian losses, Syrian transport and improvised bombing, MINUSMA air mobility in Mali, and Afghan emergency resupply.
Specialized missions
Electronic-warfare, bombing, casualty-evacuation, and supply roles appear by operator and conflict; they should not be read as features carried by every aircraft in the family.
Sources: Mi-8/17; Mil Mi-8T (Military); Mil Mi-8T; SIPRI Arms Transfers Database transfer register: Ukraine Mi-17 and Mi-8T imports; Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine; Flying under the radar - Syria's Special Purpose Mi-17s; Afghan Air Force rises to its combat test.
Media
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
Mil Mi-8T (Military)Publisher: Vertical Flight Society | Note: Supports Mi-8T/Hip-C identity as a Mi-8-family military variant and variant-specific specifications including TV2-117A powerplant, 12,000 kg maximum takeoff weight, speed, range, rotor diameter, and troop capacity. | Accessed: 2026-07-08Mil Mi-8TPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports Mi-8T as the standard transport version of the Mi-8, NATO Hip-C designation, Soviet origin, transport role, service and production context, TV2-117A engines, troop and stretcher capacity, payload, and optional armament fittings. | Accessed: 2026-07-08SIPRI Arms Transfers Database transfer register: Ukraine Mi-17 and Mi-8T importsPublisher: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict use by documenting Mi-17 and Mi-8T transport helicopters transferred to Ukraine after the 2022 Russian invasion; queried recipient Ukraine with Mi-17 and Mi-8T designations. | Accessed: 2026-07-08Mi-8/17Publisher: Russian Helicopters | Note: Supports designer, manufacturer background, production sites, current production model names, general role, and published Mi-8/17 specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Russia has delivered 12 Mi-17V-5 helicopters to the U.S. for the Afghan National ArmyPublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Supports Mi-17V-5 export-variant context and delivery background for Afghan National Army aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Mi-171ShPublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Supports Mi-171Sh as an armed Mi-8/17/171 military transport variant with guided and unguided armament, paratrooper capacity, payload, and variant-specific performance data. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Yugoimport B8V20 rocket launcherPublisher: Yugoimport-SDPR | Note: Supports B8V20/S-8 rocket launcher compatibility with Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopters and their modifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-06$800 Million in Additional Security Assistance for UkrainePublisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict use by documenting security assistance transferred to Ukraine: 11 Mi-17 helicopters in an April 2022 U.S. drawdown package. | Accessed: 2026-06-20$700 Million in Additional Security Assistance for UkrainePublisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict use by documenting security assistance provided to Ukraine: four additional Mi-17 helicopters in a June 2022 U.S. package. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ukraine Fact Sheet - September 28, 2022Publisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict use by listing 20 Mi-17 helicopters among U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine after the full-scale invasion. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Mi-17 helicopters transportPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct transfer context and image provenance by documenting Mi-17 helicopters being prepared for transport as U.S.-facilitated assistance to Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict use by recording Russian Mi-8 transport and Mi-8MTPR-1 electronic-warfare helicopter losses during the full-scale invasion. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Flying under the radar - Syria's Special Purpose Mi-17sPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War direct conflict use by documenting Syrian Arab Air Force Mi-8/17 transport, evacuation, improvised bombing, and electronic-warfare roles during the war. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Houthi Helicopter Raid On Ship In Red Sea Seen In New VideoPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports 2023 Red Sea Crisis direct conflict use by identifying the Houthi Galaxy Leader raid helicopter as a Mi-171Sh variant transport helicopter that landed armed fighters on the ship. | Accessed: 2026-07-06AP Red Sea helicopter-borne attack analysisPublisher: Associated Press | Note: Supports background context for the November 2023 Houthi helicopter-borne seizure of the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Armatec 9M14 MalyutkaPublisher: Armatec | Note: Supports the Mi-8 family as a helicopter launch platform for the 9M14 Malyutka. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Qader anti-ship missile capable against coastal targets, boatsPublisher: Iran Press | Note: Supports the Mil 17 helicopter as one of the aircraft that can carry the Qader anti-ship cruise missile. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Third Report by the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team, DoumaPublisher: Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons | Note: Supports the Mi-8/17 helicopter as the air platform that carried and dropped the chlorine cylinders used in the Douma attack. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Nagorno-Karabakh: downed helicopters and Turkish drones?Publisher: AeroTime | Note: Supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct conflict use by reporting a Mi-8 transport helicopter fielded by the Azerbaijan Air Force during renewed 2020 fighting. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Accident Mil Mi-8, 27 September 2020Publisher: Aviation Safety Network | Note: Supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct conflict use by recording a Mi-8 fielded by the Azerbaijan Air Force as destroyed in combat near Tartar, Nagorno-Karabakh. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Aviation Safety Database results: LibyaPublisher: Aviation Safety Network | Note: Supports 2014 Second Libyan Civil War direct conflict use by recording a Mi-8 fielded by the Libyan National Army at Abu Grein on 7 September 2020. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Indonesia Will Send Contingent of TNI MI-17 Helicopters Task Force to Peace Mission in MaliPublisher: Cabinet Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia | Note: Supports 2012 Mali War direct conflict use by documenting Mi-17 helicopters fielded by Indonesia's TNI for the MINUSMA peace mission in Mali. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Protecting Civilians in MaliPublisher: Center for Civilians in Conflict | Note: Supports 2012 Mali War direct conflict use by documenting Mi-8 helicopters used by MINUSMA in Mali for transport, supply movement, and CASEVAC coverage. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Afghan Air Force rises to its combat testPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports 2001 War in Afghanistan direct conflict use and image provenance by documenting Afghan Air Force Mi-17 helicopters used for an emergency resupply mission in eastern Afghanistan after an outpost attack. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Afghan Air Force executes combat resupply in Kunar ValleyPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports 2001 War in Afghanistan direct conflict use by documenting Afghan Air Force Mi-17 helicopters used for a combat resupply mission to Afghan National Police in northern Kunar Valley. | Accessed: 2026-07-05AAF provides close-air support in historical combat missionPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports 2001 War in Afghanistan direct conflict use by documenting Afghan Air Force Mi-17 helicopters used in Operation Seemorgh for troop movement, resupply, and casualty evacuation. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Afghan Air Force braces for Fighting Season 15Publisher: U.S. Air Forces Central | Note: Supports 2001 War in Afghanistan direct conflict use by documenting Afghan Air Force Mi-17 helicopters armed with GSh-23 guns and used to support friendly forces. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Rights Group Alleges Russia Supplied Weapons Used in Airstrike on Myanmar SchoolPublisher: Voice of America | Note: Supports 2021 Myanmar Civil War direct conflict use by reporting Mi-17 helicopters used in the 2021 Myanmar Civil War airstrike on Let Yet Kone school. | Accessed: 2026-06-22File:Mi-17 Helicopter.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and license page for the Mi-17 photo used as the primary image; listed as Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic. | Accessed: 2026-06-20