Russian forces launched an attack on a temporary airfield in the Donetsk People's Republic, destroying two Ukrainian Mi-8/17 military-transport helicopters. The helicopters were detected near the village of Novopavlovka, approximately 46 kilometers from the front line.
Drone footage released by the Russian military captured the incident. It shows three Mi-8/17 helicopters parked along a dirt road, accompanied by a supply truck and another vehicle. The improvised airfield was targeted with cluster munitions, disabling two helicopters. Guided projectiles then struck the damaged aircraft, destroying them.
However, the supply truck and one helicopter managed to escape. A separate video circulating online indicates that the truck, carrying unguided air-launched rockets, reached a nearby hangar. The hangar was subsequently hit by a guided aerial bomb.
The Defense Ministry in Moscow identified the destroyed helicopters as Mi-8s but did not provide further details. One of the aircraft appeared to be a Russian-made Mi-17V-5, which was procured by the United States for the Afghan military in the early 2010s and later transferred to Ukraine in mid-2022. The surviving helicopter was an older, Soviet-made Mi-8MT aircraft.
6 Comments
Karamba
The Defense Ministry in Moscow made the right decision to identify and neutralize potential threats to their security.
Rotfront
This is a blatant act of aggression by the Russian forces, targeting a temporary airfield and destroying Ukrainian military helicopters.
Matzomaster
Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian military personnel who lost their helicopters in this attack.
Rotfront
Ukraine should have been more cautious in their military activities near the Russian border to avoid such incidents.
Karamba
This incident highlights the importance of maintaining strong defense capabilities in the face of escalating tensions.
Bob the Helper
The destruction of these helicopters only serves to escalate tensions in the region and endanger the lives of innocent people.