First visually confirmed episode of a first-person-view (FPV) drone landing a hit on a Mi-28 helicopter of the russian invasion army has been recorded in Ukraine. On August 7th, a photo from the drone's POV mere seconds before the strike was shared on social media.
This image was followed by video evidence the next day, published by Ukrainian activist and FPV drone procurement volunteer Serhii Sternenko, with a criticizing comment toward the fact the footage had been leaked into open access, undermining Ukrainian military plans and the security of drone operators. The interception was carried out by the M2 unit of the Security Service of Ukraine. Besides the successful one, the video shows two other attempts to hit russian helicopters in the air.
Read more: What Are the FPV Drones Downing russian Scouting UAVs, and How It Happens (Video)
In the meantime, russian military bloggers confirmed a helicopter was damaged but it's still repairable, and the crew managed to evacuate. The Ukrainian side says there's no information about the scale of damage inflicted.
The attempt to strike down a russian helicopter by Ukrainian FPV drone operators is not unprecedented. In September 2023, an operator from the Magyar's Birds air reconnaissance detachment tried to intercept a Ka-52 attack helicopter, although did not succeed (see video below). There were also unconfirmed reports of a russian Mi-8 hit by an FPV the other day but without any visual evidence supporting the claim.
Unsuccessful attempt to attack a Russian Ka-52 helicopter using kamikaze FPV. The helicopter was faster, this time. https://t.co/uJ9mIRfyIQ pic.twitter.com/f1PwshLZoK— Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) September 6, 2023
Overall, the development and utilization of FPV drones-interceptors are gaining momentum in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Defense Forces have recently shown a successful interception of a ZALA-series reconnaissance UAV by a simplistic FPV drone, though it had a notably smaller battery and presumably superior speed specifications compared to the more common FPVs deployed against vehicles, dugouts, or infantry.
There are also more sophisticated-looking winged interceptor drones like the BULLET in testing. More examples of FPV drones targeting russian scout UAVs can be found here.
Besides, Ukrainian FPV drones are not the only threat to russian attack helicopters. Sometimes, they get caught in friendly fire by allied air defense or, surprisingly, by rocket artillery fire. Modern battlefield has become so dangerous to rotorcraft aviation that it has already prompted a shift in their combat tactics.
Read more: Upgraded Strela-10 Systems Prove Effective Against russian Drones (Video)
