Ukraine's Security Service has released footage showing the destruction of russian Mi-26 heavy transport helicopter, the first confirmed loss of this type during the full-scale war. The short clip appears in a new recruitment video, first spotted by the analyst known as Potuzhnyi informator, and includes the moment a drone strike hits the aircraft.
Although the footage does not reveal detailed context or timing, the strike is almost certainly linked to the June 27-28, 2025, attack on the Kirovske airfield in temporarily occupied Crimea. At the time, Ukrainian forces reported hits on several helicopters, including Mi-8, Mi-26, and Mi-28 models, as well as on Pantsir-S1 air defense system. Until now, confirmation relied solely on satellite imagery showing destroyed aircraft and disabled air defense assets on the airfield.
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The newly published video provides direct visual evidence of the strike, finally validating that russia indeed lost its Mi-26, the largest and most capable transport helicopter in its inventory. While this is the first Mi-26 loss in the current war, it is not the first combat loss in the helicopter's history: the platform previously suffered a documented combat shoot-down during the First Karabakh War in 1992.
The Mi-26 helicopter plays a critical logistical role for russian forces in Ukraine. The helicopter can carry up to 20 tonnes of cargo either internally or on an external sling, enabling rapid movement of military equipment, ammunition, fuel, and sometimes personnel across the theater. Its ability to support heavy-lift logistics makes it especially valuable for operations in remote or contested areas.
Russia faces significant challenges in replenishing these helicopters. Since 2019-2020, the country has been unable to produce new Mi-26 units due to reliance on Ukrainian D-136 engines, which Moscow can no longer legally or practically obtain. Efforts to replace the engine have been ongoing, but without notable success. As a result, the Mi-26 fleet has been shrinking and aging, with no realistic prospect of near-term production renewal.
The confirmed destruction of the Mi-26 helicopter therefore represents not only an immediate tactical loss for russian logistics but also a long-term strategic blow. Each airframe is extremely expensive, difficult to replace, and critical for heavy transport tasks that no other helicopter in russia's arsenal can perform at scale.
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