Ukraine Finds British WW2 Hurricane Planes Outside Kyiv

The rusting remains of eight British Hurricane fighter planes which were sent to the Soviet Union by Britain after Nazi Germany invaded the country in 1941, have been found buried in a forest in Ukraine.

They were part of a package of allied military support for the USSR, paid for by the United States under the so-called Lend-Lease scheme andAviation experts say this is the first time the remains of so many Hurricanes have been found in Ukraine

Similar legislation is being used by the US government today to send military aid to Ukraine as it seeks to expel Russian forces from its country.

A former airline pilot Oleks Shtan who is leading the excavation says, It is very rare to find this aircraft in Ukraine stating the important for their aviation history because no Lend-Lease aircraft have been found here before.”

The UK sent some 3,000 Hurricanes to the Soviet Union during the war against Nazi Germany

The Hawker Hurricane was the workhorse of the Battle of Britain – the air campaign of 1940 when the Royal Air Force (RAF) defeated German attempts to invade the UK. Although its role has often been overshadowed by the newer and more adaptable Spitfire plane, the Hurricane actually shot down more than half of all enemy aircraft during the battle.

In total, about 3,000 Hurricanes were sent to the USSR between 1941 and 1944 to support the Soviet war effort. Most were either destroyed in combat or dismantled later for parts.

But some Hurricanes were deliberately broken up and buried after the war so the Soviets did not have to pay back the United States. Under the Lend-Lease legislation, the USSR was required to pay for any donated military equipment that remained intact after hostilities ended.