picture 170215

Giant Mil Mi-6 helicopters of the 688th Independent Helicopter Regiment, V-VS (home-based at Legnica AB in Poland) were deployed in support of the 7th Guards Airborne Division of the Soviet Army during Operation Danube. They usually carried equipment, ammunition, and food and even brought in several BTR-152 armoured personnel carriers. As far as is known, all were painted in medium grey overall, and wore relatively few other markings: the latter included their big red bort numbers (outlined in white), and national markings in the form of big red stars applied on the rear fuselage. Contrary to the much smaller Mi-4s, they are not known to have received red identification stripes around their booms. (Artwork by Luca Canossa)