The former Cypriot Mi-35P helicopters are now in Service of the Serbian Armed Forces.

• In 2001, Cyprus acquired twelve rotorcraft of that type for the Cypriot National Guard, the official military force of the country.
• The helicopters are in active service until today and were already two times overhauled in Russia.
• The first service was performed in 2007 and 2008, then the second maintenance agreement was concluded in December of 2013.
• In July of 2006, one of the National Guard Mi-35 helicopters crashed near Paphos air base, killing its crew of Cypriot officer and Russian flight instructor.

The first information about Serbia’s interest in these helicopters appeared back in 2021, but now the Serbian Armed Forces have received 11 units at their disposal. 

In the year 2001 , Cyprus had purchased twelve MI-35s from Russia, but one was lost in an accident causing the loss of the flight crew.

Although subjected to two major maintenance cycles in Russia in the years preceding the outbreak of hostilities with Ukraine, these helicopters did not prove to be a successful purchase also from the point of view of high maintenance costs, so much so that Cyprus had been looking for a buyer for some time, gradually taking them out of service.

The Serbian Armed Forces have recently expanded their capabilities with the addition of former Cyprus National Guard Mi-35P attack helicopters. Serbia's line of combat helicopters currently composed of 7 Mil MI-35M all delivered between 2019 and 2020 by Russia.

Yet to be assembled and reinforced as per their requirements, these rotorcraft were transported in a series of meticulously coordinated flights that saw the Antonov An-124-100 aircraft traversing from Paphos in Cyprus to Batajnica in Serbia over a span of three days from November 19th through the 21st in 2023.

• Due to European sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and other operational challenges, Cyprus decided to withdraw these helicopters from service in 2021.
• The decision to retire these helicopters was driven by factors such as the high maintenance costs (100 million euros over ten years), their unsuitability for the National Guard's missions, and the risk of American sanctions under the CAATSA law.

The move is poised to bolster Serbia’s defense mechanisms, signaling a notable upswing in its aerial assault proficiency. This strategic acquisition crowns months of diplomatic negotiations and logistical planning.

It's also being anticipated that this delivery fulfills a purchase agreement that likely included the five Mi-35 aircraft previously mentioned in defense reports.

The story of the Mi-35P helicopters makes for an eye-opening glimpse into the aftermarket life of military equipment, reshaping power dynamics between nations. Conceived two years ago,these helicopters, with their proven track record, are now poised to serve under a new flag, having been transported from the Mediterranean isle to the heart of the Balkans.

Serbia awaits the operational deployment of these aerial assets, ready to start a new chapter in its military annals. Further details on the integration of the Mi-35s into the Serbian forces will be followed by both industry analysts and regional observers.

Serbia will take the benefit of this acquisition as a significant addition to its combat helicopter fleet and will establish a unit called 714. Protivoklovna Helikopterska Eskadrila (714. phe) to operate these helicopters.

On the other side, since the beginning of 2020s, Cyprus was trying to succeed the country´s Mi-35 fleet with another, lighter and easy-to-use rotorcraft, at the same time looking for a buyer for its Russian-made helicopters.

In June of 2022 , Cyprus ordered six H145 helicopters to serve with its National Guard as the successor to the Mi-35PN. The bigger picture of the proposal involves purchasing six aircraft in the first phase and another six in the second phase over ten years.