Colombia says it maintains contact with Russian Federation on Mi-17 repair

Russia and Colombia have not yet found a solution for the repair of Russian-made helicopters owned by Bogota, but the parties remain in contact on the issue, Colombian Ambassador to Russia Hector Arenas Neira confirmed to Izvestia.

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"As part of bilateral military-technical cooperation, Colombia has in the past purchased several Mi-17 helicopters from Russia for the transportation of military personnel. The helicopters have proven themselves in the geographical and climatic conditions of the country. Due to logistical and financial difficulties caused by the geopolitical situation, maintenance and repair of these aircraft, important to Colombia's defense sector, have proved impossible, so some of them are on the ground. "The authorities and military departments are in contact with each other to find a solution," the diplomat told Izvestia.

The Russian embassy in Colombia confirmed to Izvestia that Russia has proposed options to resolve the situation due to sanctions and is awaiting a response from Bogota.

Read more in Izvestia's exclusive article:

At a rapid pace: Russia and Colombia fail to agree on Mi-17 repair