Mi35 is possibly the only helicopter that can really be defined as an “assault helicopter”. Helicopters of that size class are generally designed for only one of two things, Transport or attack.
Theres helicopters on both extremes, like the AH-1 and the UH-1, The Mi28 and the Mi17, the Augusta Westland and the Puma. Basically every country has an attack helicopter and a transport helicopter.
Mi35 is the perfect balance between those two roles, it’s armed and armored (its fuselage is armored to take 12.7mm rounds and it’s cockpit and titanium rotor mounts can withstand upto 20mm cannon rounds) like an attack helicopter and can transport troops like a transport helicopter. It has armor and armament like attack helicopters so it Take can take and give a beating but at the same time it is very fast. Despite its size and unassuming shape it holds several speed records because it is extremely agile and has powerful engines (from the much bigger Mi17). And at the same time it can carry small teams of troops, usually SF (it has a capacity of 8 troops, or stretchers, even cargo).
So it’s not the best attack helicopter, as it has a lower payload than dedicated ones, and it’s not the best transport helicopter, as it can’t transport as many soldiers as dedicated ones, but it’s the perfect balance between them. It can do both roles when needed but the specific role I mentioned for it is SF insertion and extraction while also providing air cover, MEDEVAC from Hot areas, clearing its own landing zones etc, for these tasks you’d conventionally need both types of helos, this can do it alone.
Some other helicopters have tried to replicate this, like the American Blackhawk and the IAR330 (armed version of the Puma), but both of those being purpose built for transport are better at that role and only have armaments as secondary roles or lose a lot of other capabilities when armed.
