Moment Ukrainian sea drone blasts one in every of Putin’s £12million helicopters out of the sky in ‘historic’ strike
Ukraine today claimed the historic downing by a missile-firing sea drone of a £12million Russian Mi-8 military helicopter off the coast of occupied Crimea.
The strike with a Magura V5 was announced by Kyiv‘s military intelligence and shown on new footage.
Footage showed the Mi-8 chopper desperately shooting out flares as the missile, an R-73 ‘Sea Dragon’, chased it down.
After being hit by the missile, the Mi-8 can be seen crashing into the sea.
‘On December 31, 2024, soldiers of the GUR special unit Group 13 of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine for the first time in history hit an air target using a Magura V5 sea drone equipped with missile weapons,’ the ministry said in a statement.
‘During a battle in the Black Sea near Cape Tarkhankut of temporarily occupied Crimea, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed by the use of R-73 ‘Sea Dragon’ missiles.
‘Another similar enemy helicopter was hit by fire and was able to reach the base airfield.’
The R-73 is a short-range, infrared-guided air-to-air missile which Ukraine has adapted for use on marine drones.
Ukraine today claimed the historic downing by a missile-firing sea drone of a £12million Russian Mi-8 military helicopter
The Mi-8 chopper (pictured) is one of Putin’s flagship helicopters
Footage showed the Mi-8 chopper desperately shooting out flares as the missile, an R-73 ‘Sea Dragon’, chased it down
Russia did not immediately confirm the loss of a military helicopter.
But, Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Russian-governor of Sevastopol in Crimea said on Telegram that two unmanned drone vessels were destroyed near the coast overnight.
Magura V5 drones are remotely controlled by an operator, and are usually packed with up to 200kg (440lbs) of high explosives.
They are just 5.5m (18ft) long, making them incredible hard to shoot down.
They have a typical operating range of up to 400km (248miles), but can be used as far as 800km, and can be used for up to 60 hours.
Magura V5s typically travel at 41kmph (25mph), and have a top speed of 78kmph), and cost around $273,000 (£218,0000) to build.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that air defense systems shot down 17 drones over Crimea during the night.
It also launched an aerial attack on Ukraine on Tuesday, striking the capital and other regions with multiple missiles and drones.
Ukrainian Marine Corps soldiers transfer personnel to British Mastiff infantry fighting vehicle on December 28, 2024 in Kurakhove frontline, Ukraine
Around half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been destroyed during the war, and rolling electricity blackouts are common and widespread.
Magura V5 drones are remotely controlled by an operator, and are usually packed with up to 200kg (440lbs) of high explosives
Magura V5s are just 5.5m (18ft) long, making them incredible hard to shoot down
Magura V5s typically travel at 41kmph (25mph), and have a top speed of 78kmph), and cost around $273,000 (£218,0000) to build
They have a typical operating range of up to 400km (248miles), but can be used as far as 800km, and can be used for up to 60 hours
Ukraine’s air force reported a ballistic missile threat at 3:00 a.m. (0100 GMT), with at least two explosions heard in Kyiv minutes later. Another missile alert was issued at 8:00 a.m. followed by at least one explosion in the city.
Missile debris fell in the Darnytskyi district of the capital with no reports of casualties or damage, the local administration said.
Authorities in the northeastern Sumy region reported strikes near the city of Shostka, where the mayor, Mykola Noha, said 12 residential buildings had been damaged as well as two educational facilities. He said some ‘social infrastructure objects’ were destroyed, without providing detail.
The air force also reported missiles and drones targeting several other regions of Ukraine.
In Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said that its forces successfully struck a Ukrainian air base and a gunpowder factory.
Around half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been destroyed during the war, and rolling electricity blackouts are common and widespread.
Kyiv’s Western allies have provided air defense systems to help Ukraine protect critical infrastructure, but Russia has sought to overwhelm its air defenses with combined strikes involving large numbers of missiles and drones.
