ĭuring the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces were recorded capturing three Mi-2 helicopters in Kherson International Airport. North Korea still maintains a large active fleet of Mi-2s. Some were also used by the former East Germany (with 7.62 mm machine gun and 57 mm unguided rocket armament only). Most of the armed Mi-2 variants were used by Poland. The Mi-2 is used by mainly former Soviet and Eastern Bloc countries, although it was also purchased by Mexico and Myanmar armed forces. The Mi-2 was first introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1965. In Poland, several specialized military variants were also developed in early 1970s for support or training roles, with 23 mm autocannon, machine guns and/or two 57 mm rocket pods, four 9K11 Malyutka anti-tank missiles or Strela-2 AA missiles. Most typical role-change kits include four stretchers for air ambulance usage, or aerospraying or cropdusting applications. The factory also developed fiberglass rotor blades, and developed the wide-body Mi-2M seating 10 passengers instead of eight. PZL-Świdnik produced a total of 5,497 helicopters, about a third for military users. The first Świdnik-built example flew on 4 November 1965 (making this the only Soviet-designed helicopter to be built solely outside the Soviet Union). The Mil-built prototype first flew in the Soviet Union on 22 September 1961, after the initial development the project was transferred to Poland in 1964. However, the external dimensions remained similar. The Mi-2 fuselage was extensively altered from its predecessor, with the engines mounted overhead. The twin shaft-turbine engines used in the Mi-2 develop 40% more power than the Mi-1's piston engines, for barely half the engine weight, with the result that the payload was more than doubled. Isotov developed the GTD-350 engine and Mil used two of these in the far superior Mi-2. During the 1950s it became evident, and confirmed by American and French development, that helicopters could be greatly improved with turbine engines. The first production helicopter in the Soviet Union was the Mil Mi-1, modelled along the lines of the S-51 and Bristol Sycamore and flown by Mikhail Mil's bureau in September 1948. The Mi-2 was produced exclusively in Poland, in the WSK "PZL-Świdnik" factory in Świdnik. ( January 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources.
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