Fuselage of a russian Ka-52 attack helicopter on full display in a photo published on social media after a missile strike inflicted by Ukrainian forces on russian airfields on October 17th.
The authors claim the following picture was taken at the military airfield near the occupied city of Luhansk. Earlier, satellite imagery indicated at least five helicopters were affected by the Ukrainian attack. However, the up-close photo below shows why a look from space does not always show the real matter of things.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence Analyzed the Consequences of Ukrainian Strikes on Berdiansk and Luhansk Airfields
At first glance, just a few holes: one in the cockpit and another one a little behind. Though a careful examination shows the following picture:
This helicopter was not on fire, did not fall apart into pieces, so the damage cannot be seen from a satellite. Even though a few dozen fragments of the M74 submunition hit a relatively small area of the cockpit approximately 5x5 feet.
Moreover, when assessing the damage, the cockpit is not the most important part to look at contrary to the engine compartment or fuel tanks, for example. In fact, although the russians call their Ka-52 an "armored" helicopter, it can be pierced by small arms, such as rifles – it was testified by the helicopters' pilots themselves in a video report published in spring 2022.
This much damage is enough to put a Ka-52 out of order and make it retreat for repairs back at the home factory, until the pierced parts are patched up and any damaged subsystems replaced. It takes time and, on top of that, components which means no guarantee a helicopter damaged by ATACMS would be able to get back to service in general, or at least despite the risk to fail mid-flight due to a hole in the engine.
Read more: The Newest Russian Helicopter Ka-52 Could be Shot Down by a Rifle
