Ukrainian officer reportedly surrenders with Mi‑8 helicopter

According to statements attributed to Major Petr Orlovsky, a 2011 graduate of the Kharkiv Institute of Air Forces, he surrendered to Russian forces along with a Mi‑8 helicopter. The officer reportedly handed over the aircraft during ongoing clashes in eastern Ukraine. No independent verification of the surrender has been provided, and Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the claim. The incident, if true, would represent a rare instance of a Ukrainian aircrew defecting with an operational helicopter.