Ukraine intends to withdraw all of its Forces and equipment from all U.N Missions in Africa and Europe, including helicopters, to assist in the fight against Russian troops.
On Tuesday, local Ukrainian media reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had ordered all Ukrainian soldiers and commanders serving on UN peacekeeping missions to return home and join the struggle against Russian forces.
There are approximately 300 Ukrainians working in six U.N missions. The mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo known as Monusco now has the largest presence of Ukrainians.
According to a Monusco representative, it consists of eight Ukrainian helicopters and a 250-member aviation team.
He went on to say that they had received a notification from Ukraine ordering the troops to be recalled.
According to the UN’s peacekeeping website, a few additional Ukrainians work in UN missions in Mali, South Sudan, Sudan, Cyprus, and Kosovo in various roles.
It’s unclear how the Ukrainian pullout from the Democratic Republic of Congo will affect Monusco’s capabilities, particularly in the east, where the helicopters are stationed.