旧ソ連製ヘリで戦うウクライナ兵、米製ヘリを熱望

【ウクライナＡＦＰ＝時事】ウクライナ軍の軍用ヘリコプターＭｉ８を操縦するアナトリーさん（３９）は、ヘリ内部に幾つも取り付けられた補強パネルを指さしてこう言った。「ふざけている、装甲がないんだ」（写真はウクライナ東部で駐機中のヘリＭｉ２４）
　砲手のアナトリーさんはこのヘリに乗り組み、ロシア軍の陣地に向かってロケット弾を発射するという５週間の連続シフトをこなす。昨春以降、約３００回の戦闘任務に参加してきた。
　ウォロディミル・ゼレンスキー大統領は西側の友好国に近代兵器の供与を求めている。ウクライナ東部で旧ソ連製のヘリに乗る操縦士は、このヘリでは技術面でロシアに勝てないと認める。
　アナトリーさんが乗るＭｉ８は１９８６年に旧ソ連で製造された。本来は輸送用で装甲がないにもかかわらず、ウクライナ軍は攻撃用として配備している。
　近くには、より小型で操縦性が良く、装甲も厚い攻撃用ヘリＭｉ２４が駐機している。Ｍｉ２４は複数のＭｉ８と共に出撃する。
　Ｍｉ２４の操縦士ウラジスラウさんは英語で「怖いよ、（ロシア軍は）ヘリを破壊する新たな攻撃手法を編み出したから」と語った。
　ウラジスラウさんによると、ウクライナ軍のヘリはロシア軍に検知されないよう低空を飛行するが、ロシア側の戦闘機は１４０キロ離れた地点の１０００メートル上空からでも攻撃可能だ。
　「相手側の偵察のレーザー照射でわれわれの機体がマークされ、ロケット弾の攻撃を受けてしまう」
　ウラジスラウさんは自分が乗り組むＭｉ２４に目線を送り、「このヘリは３５年物だが、『若い』ヘリと言っていい。Ｍｉ８は４５年物だから」と話した。
　ウラジスラウさんによると、ここまで古い機体になると金属疲労の問題が出てくる上、国内で変速装置やエンジン、回転翼を新たに製造することもできない。
　「（ロシア軍から）ロケット弾１発が当たるだけで、ヘリは落ちる」とウラジスラウさん。「われわれには（米軍ヘリの）『ブラックホーク』や『アパッチ』が必要だ。Ｍｉ２４やＭｉ８によく似ており、ミサイルは新型だ」
　Ｍｉ８を操縦するアンドリーさん（２８）も「もしアパッチやブラックホークがあれば、状況は一変する。米欧が持っている物の方がいい」と主張した。
　西側諸国からは、ウクライナが求める近代的な戦闘機は、操縦士を長期にわたって再訓練する必要があることから、有効性を疑問視する声も出ている。
　ウラジスラウさんはブラックホークやアパッチと自身が乗るヘリの類似点を挙げ、再訓練は「たった半年で済む」と言った。またアナトリーさんも「生き延びたければ、すぐに覚えるものだ」と応じた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/04/03-16:46）

Anatoliy points to the few reinforced panels inside one of Ukraine's Mi-8 helicopters where he spends five-week shifts firing rockets at Russian positions.
This is a joke, not armour, says the 39-year-old gunner, who has taken part in some 300 combat missions since last spring.
As President Volodymyr Zelensky pushes Western allies for modern weapons, pilots in eastern Ukraine admit their ancient Soviet-made helicopters are outplayed technologically by Russia.
Anatoliy's Mi-8 helicopter was built in 1986 in the USSR. Primarily a transport helicopter, it is deployed by Ukraine on battle missions despite its lack of armour.
His is decorated with a hand-drawn picture of a Cossack riding a dragon and the words: Fight and claim victory. God will help you.
An icon hangs inside a nearby Mi-24 attack helicopter, a smaller, more manoeuvrable and heavily armoured model that flies with Mi-8s on operations.
The helicopters take off from a field, whipping up straw as their blades whirl.
Mi-24 pilot Vladyslav, who wears a large bomber jacket and woolly hat, covers his face with a scarf to speak to AFP after arriving back safely.
It's scary because the (Russians) have invented new ways to attack us, to destroy our helicopters, he says, speaking English.
Ukrainian helicopters fly low to hide from the Russians but Moscow can attack with jet fighters from a distance of 140 kilometres (87 miles), flying at a height of over 1,000 metres (3,300 feet), he says.
- 'They only need one rocket' -
Their reconnaissance lights us up with laser tags. That's why their rockets can hit us.
His helicopter has infra-red decoy flares that it fires to deflect heat-seeking rockets as the only way to survive.
Nodding at his aircraft, Vladyslav says: That helicopter is 35 years old and I can say that's a 'young' helicopter, because Mi-8 helicopters are 45 years old.
Such aged aircraft have metal fatigue problems and Ukraine cannot produce new gearboxes, engines or blades, he says. The fuselage is also vulnerable.
They (Russians) need only one rocket to hit us and the helicopter is down.
We need Black Hawks and Apaches. Those helicopters are very similar to our Mi-24 and Mi-8... and they have new types of missiles, he says, naming helicopters used by the US armed forces.
If we had Apaches or Black Hawks, it would be a totally different story, agrees 28-year-old Mi-8 pilot Andriy.
It's better to have what the US and Europe have.
The problem is not just with the helicopters but the reconnaissance systems used to detect enemy positions, the men say.
- 'Real hell' -
The first month was real hell. We didn't know where the enemy air defences were, says Andriy.
Even now, Russia can see half of Ukraine Anatoliy says, while we see (only) the most elementary things.
Vladyslav says he covers his face to protect his identity since Russians are hunting helicopter pilots.
We're like treasure in an army, he says.
A pilot is a very expensive product since training one fighter pilot costs over 300 million hryvnias ($8.1 million), he explains.
(We have lost) many comrades and many helicopters. I cannot say a number because it's a secret, he adds.
It's a very sad situation. A lot of guys have gone who would have done good things, says Andriy.
Some Western officials have questioned the effectiveness of supplying Ukraine with the more modern combat aircraft it is requesting, since its pilots will have to retrain for a lengthy period.
It's only half a year, says Vladyslav, pointing to the similarities between Black Hawk and Apache helicopters and the ones they fly.
When you want to live, you learn quickly, says Anatoliy.