The Ukrainian military has been a pioneer in the use of drones on the battlefield, but this time, the Defense Forces of Ukraine were outpaced, as Myanmar's Kachin Independence Army has successfully scored a historically first kill on a helicopter with a drone strike.
The video shows an FPV drone attack on a Myanmar junta Mi-17 helicopter near the town of Bhamo in Kachin State, northern Myanmar, on May 20. It shows that the drone attack occurred during the helicopter's landing, while it was still in the air.
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An FPV drone operated by the partisans hit the Mi-17’s rotor, resulting in a loss of stable control. The pilots stopped the landing and tried to escape the area despite the damage.
Although the video does not show the helicopter crashing, the junta has confirmed the crash, and footage from the site is available. It is also stated that the helicopter crashed near the town of Shwegu. According to unofficial sources, all seven members of the crew and landing team died.
It should be noted that the Kachin Independence Army made a statement about two helicopters, but the evidence and use of the FPV drone relates to only one. Thus, it can be said that Myanmar partisans were the first to successfully destroy a helicopter in flight using a drone.
At the same time, Ukraine has been close to destroying an enemy helicopter several times using an FPV drone. The first attempts have been recorded since September 2023. Moreover, the attacks caused some damage. The first such incident happened in August 2024, when a Ukrainian FPV drone hit the tail of a russian Mi-28. A few days later, a similar episode happened with a Mi-8.
However, despite several similar hits, no reliable record exists of a helicopter being downed or destroyed by this weapon so far. This also applies to the recent case of a russian Ka-52 being hit but not shot down.
At the same time, the situation in Myanmar was much easier because of the Mi-17's hovering during the troop drop-off. The crash and loss resulted from the crew’s decision to return to base instead of landing the helicopter immediately.
Earlier Defense Express reported that Ukrainian drone forces had struck russian semiconductor plant linked to missiles and fighter fets.
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