The public collection for a Black Hawk helicopter, nicknamed "Čestmír," intended for Ukraine, is raising new questions. Activist Paukner points out inconsistencies between the claim of transferring the aircraft to the Ukrainian side and information suggesting that the helicopter with the registration OM-BHB and serial number 80-23495 remained registered with a Slovak operator.
The public contributed over 72 million Czech crowns towards acquiring the helicopter through the "Gift for Putin" initiative. The collection was presented as aid to Ukraine, and according to published information, the aircraft was supposed to be subsequently transferred to the Ukrainian side. President Petr Pavel and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were also mentioned in connection with the transfer.
However, the identity and further fate of this specific aircraft are now the subject of public debate. Paukner claims that, according to available Slovak aviation registers, the helicopter OM-BHB, serial number 80-23495, remained registered with the company Slovak Training Academy. According to his statement, the same information was also supposed to appear in the register from January 2026.
Questions are also being raised about the use of the helicopter in firefighting operations. Paukner points out contracts between the Czech state regarding the rental of Black Hawk helicopters and claims that this specific aircraft, OM-BHB, was among those deployed.
Furthermore, he says that photographs from European firefighting missions raise further doubts. According to available materials, the same helicopter was reportedly seen in Bulgaria, Spain, Montenegro, or France. On the other hand, photographs clearly confirming the presence of this specific aircraft, OM-BHB, in Ukraine are not publicly available, according to Paukner. The registration number is allegedly covered or removed on some of these images.
According to a previous statement to Blesk, Martin Ondráček said that the helicopter was supposed to be with a unit of Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) in Ukraine. At the same time, he stated that he did not know how the helicopter was transported to Ukraine, as the transport was supposed to be arranged by the Ukrainian side.
The entire matter hinges on a fundamental question: Is the OM-BHB helicopter actually the aircraft that was transferred to Ukraine after the public collection, and where is this specific aircraft currently located?
Based on these circumstances, Paukner suspects that the helicopter may not have flown to Ukraine at all and could have remained with its original operator. However, this alone is not proof that the promised transfer did not take place. A definitive conclusion would require the publication of clear documents regarding ownership, transfer, registration, and physical transport of the specific aircraft.
Therefore, the case raises questions about the transparency of how funds from public collections are handled. If people contributed over 72 million Czech crowns with the expectation that their money would help Ukraine acquire a specific helicopter, they should have the opportunity to verify what actually happened to the aircraft.