The Prymary special unit of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine has added two more high-value targets to its record — Mi-8 military transport helicopters.
To strike them, as in all of the unit's numerous other attacks, fixed-wing FPV drones were used, most likely upgraded RUBAKA and UJ-26 Bober.
Read more: Ukraine Strikes the RT-70 Radio Telescope in Crimea, and It's even More Important Than S-400 Radar Loss
The published video clearly shows one drone hitting the first Mi-8 in the engine area, while the second detonated very close to another helicopter, damaging it with shrapnel. But in this particular case, it's not what was hit that matters, but where it happened.
The attack took place at the military airfield Hvardiiske, located 15 km from Simferopol, in the center of the occupied Crimea, which means a rather powerful air defense system is deployed around it.
That is why, back in August 2022, when Ukraine targeted airfields across russia, the russian Aerospace Forces relocated part of its aircraft here from other bases, such as Belbek.
One strike on Saky — an air base in Crimea, notably — reportedly resulted in an entire regiment being written off as scrap and causing panic amongst the russians.
Later, however, russia returned the planes to their original bases after building concrete shelters there.
It is also telling that one of the drones managed to attack a target in Sevastopol Bay, another heavily protected site. Its victim, according to the DIU, was likely the tugboat BUK-2190.
At the same time, such strikes have become possible thanks to the systematic destruction of air defense systems carried out by Prymary. Recently, the unit destroyed two radars of the S-400 air defense system and even one belonging to the newest, still experimental S-500, along with several surveillance and coastal radars.
Moreover, this same unit recently carried out a successful attack in the Sea of Azov on a Buyan-M class corvette. And just yesterday, they reported a strike on a very significant target — the RT-70 radio telescope near Yevpatoria — an objective even more important than radars for the S-400.
Read more: Ukrainian Forces Destroy Strategic russian Targets in Crimea, Including Air Defense Radars (Video)
