Ukraine’s military intelligence reported on Tuesday that one of its naval drones successfully destroyed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter and damaged another in an operation over the Black Sea. The strike occurred near Cape Tarkhankut, located on the western coast of Crimea, with the drone a Magura V5 maritime device equipped with missiles hitting the Russian aircraft.
The Ukrainian GUR spy agency said it was the first time a naval drone had sunk an airborne target. Russia still has not released any official word on the matter. In his Telegram post, Russia-appointed Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev mentioned that overnight, two unmanned naval drones were destroyed off the Crimean coast.
According to GUR, after the attack a second Mi-8 helicopter though was damaged had succeeded in arriving at an airfield.
In a grainy video published by GUR, it is visible how a helicopter that was flying over water took shots from various projectiles and went crashing down. The video again cannot be independently confirmed.
Since full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, Ukraine has upped the production of drones, including naval attack drones. These have been used to attack Russian warships and military installations, especially on the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.
The successful strike proves that Ukraine’s drone capabilities are becoming very effective in its ongoing conflict with Russia.
