The Soviets/Russians preferred to destroy lend-lease equipment rather than pay up their allies.

The remains of eight British Hawker Hurricane fighter planes from World War Two have been discovered in a forest soil south of Kyiv, the capital Ukraine, a small part of the 3,000 Hurricanes London sent to the Soviet Union as part of allied military support during the German invasion of the USSR in 1941, a BBC report said. 

The United States funded this assistance through the Lend-Lease Scheme, under which the beneficiary was obliged to pay for any piece of equipment that survived the war. Interestingly, the current US government employs similar legislation to provide military aid to Ukraine in its efforts to expel Russian forces from its territory.

Ukrainian experts unearthing remains of British Hurricanes. Credit: BBC

Aviation experts highlight the significance of this discovery, as it marks the first instance of finding multiple Hurricanes in Ukraine. Oleks Shtan, a former airline pilot leading the excavation, emphasizes the rarity of these aircraft in Ukraine, stating that no lend-lease planes were previously found in his country.

During the Battle of Britain in 1940, the Hawker Hurricane played a crucial role, serving as the primary aircraft for the Royal Air Force. It outperformed the Spitfire in terms of downing enemy aircraft during the battle, despite the latter's more prominent reputation. Hurricanes were praised for its robustness, ease of use, stability as a gun platform, and suitability for inexperienced pilots. 

According to the Lend-Lease Bill, the USSR was obligated to pay for any donated military equipment that remained intact after hostilities had ended.

Between 1941 and 1944, approximately 3,000 Hurricanes were dispatched to the USSR to support the Soviet war effort. Most were either destroyed in combat or dismantled for spare parts. However, some Hurricanes were intentionally broken down and buried after the war, allowing the Soviets to avoid repayment to the United States.

The discovery confirms that the shared belief among the Western donors about the Soviets/Russians lying to allies is correct. Moscow preferred to destroy or hide the equipment rather than fulfill their financial obligations, and it continues denying ahy wrongdoing up to date.

The eight Hurricanes discovered in the woodland south of Kyiv suffered a similar fate. Stripped of their instruments, radios, machine guns, and any valuable scrap metal, they were transported from a nearby airfield, dismantled, and unceremoniously dropped into a shallow ravine. Bulldozers subsequently covered them with soil.

Oleks Shtan examining a piece of a Hurricane. Credit: BBC

The recent discovery was made when an unexploded bomb from the war was found in close proximity. Metal detectors were employed to explore the rest of the ravine, leading to the identification of the Hurricanes.

The National Aviation Museum of Ukraine is presently engaged in a meticulous manual excavation of the site, aiming to identify as much of the aircraft as possible for potential reassembly and exhibition.

Today, only 14 restored Hurricanes worldwide are capable of flying. The eight Hurricanes found south of Kyiv were utilized to safeguard critical transport hubs, particularly railway stations and junctions.