Ukraine Say Naval Drone Targets Russian Helicopter, Marking a New Milestone in Drone Warfare

Ukrainian military intelligence announced on Tuesday that one of its naval drones successfully destroyed a Russian helicopter and damaged another during a confrontation in the Black Sea. The incident occurred near Cape Tarkhankut on Crimea’s west coast, where a Magura V5 maritime drone equipped with missiles targeted a Russian Mi-8 helicopter, according to Ukraine’s GUR spy agency.

Ukrainian naval drone downing an air target

This event marks the first reported instance of a Ukrainian naval drone downing an air target, although Reuters has not been able to independently verify the claim. There has been no immediate response from Moscow regarding the helicopter incident. However, Russia’s Defence Ministry stated on Telegram that its Black Sea Fleet had destroyed eight unmanned drone vessels during the same period.

The downing of the Russian helicopter was also corroborated by prominent Russian military blogger Voenny Osvedomitel, who noted that a second Russian helicopter was able to return to its airfield after sustaining damage from the attack.

In a grainy video released by GUR, a helicopter can be seen flying over water and being targeted by multiple projectiles before it appears to fall after the assault. Again, Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the footage.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine has significantly increased its drone production capabilities, including the development of naval attack drones. Kyiv’s military has employed these maritime drones to strike Russian warships and facilities on the Crimean peninsula, which was seized and annexed by Moscow in 2014. Ukrainian officials claim that naval drone and missile strikes have caused substantial damage to Russia’s major naval base in Sevastopol, forcing the Black Sea Fleet to relocate nearly all of its warships.