Ukraine's military intelligence reported on Tuesday that a Ukrainian naval drone had destroyed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter and damaged another in the Black Sea. The attack occurred near Cape Tarkhankut on Crimea's west coast, with a Magura V5 maritime drone equipped with missiles targeting the Russian aircraft, according to the GUR spy agency. This marked the first instance of a Ukrainian naval drone downing an aerial target.
While Moscow has not commented on the incident, Russia's Defence Ministry reported destroying eight unmanned drone vessels in the region. The downed helicopter's destruction was also confirmed by the Russian military blogger Voenny Osvedomitel. Footage released by GUR showed the Mi-8 being hit by multiple projectiles before crashing. However, this video has not been independently verified.
Ukraine has increasingly relied on drones since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, including naval drones used to target Russian warships and installations on Crimea. These attacks have caused significant damage to Russia's naval operations, particularly in Sevastopol, forcing the Black Sea Fleet to relocate its warships.
