Here, the Ukrainian helicopter shoots down Putin's drone

Published 8 December 2024 at 09.24

Foreign. Spectacular footage recently released by the Ukrainian Air Force shows Ukrainian military helicopters conducting an operation to pursue and then shoot down a Russian Shahed-type drone.

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The operation was carried out by two Soviet-made Mi-8 helicopters of the Ukrainian Air Force and was aimed at defending Ukrainian territory against a hostile Russian drone strike.

During the operation, the drone is closely followed outside the city limits to ensure it poses no threat to civilians, and when the area is safe, one of the helicopters follows the drone with precision and shoots it down with the helicopter's machine gun.

The video quickly went viral on social media, showing the moment of the shot and the drone being damaged in mid-air and quickly crashing in a wooded area.

The Shahed-136 is an Iranian-made kamikaze drone, also known as a “loitering munition”, designed to circulate across an area and attack targets by crashing into them with their explosive charge. The drone has a range of up to 2,500 kilometers and can carry a warhead of around 40 kilograms.

During the ongoing war, Russia has used Iranian-made Shahed drones to strike Ukrainian infrastructure, including energy facilities, causing extensive damage and power outages.

One advantage for Russia is the cost-effectiveness of the drones; they are significantly cheaper than traditional cruise missiles but can still cause significant destruction.

Reports indicate that Russia has increased the use of the relatively primitive, propeller-driven Shahed drones in the fall of 2024, with expectations of further intensification during the winter.

There have also been reports that Russia has modified these drones with thermobaric warheads to increase their destructive capabilities.

Ukraine has developed various methods to combat the threat posed by Shahed drones, including anti-aircraft systems and electronic warfare. In some cases, Ukrainian forces have managed to hack and redirect the drones back towards Russian territory, according to Western media reports.

© Armed Forces of Ukraine