Ukrainian forces reportedly shot down a Russian Mi-28 (NATO reporting name “Havoc”) attack helicopter using the Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPAD).
It is the first visual combat loss of a Mi-28 type helicopter during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Unfortunately, the exact place and date of the helicopter crash are not known, but a number of sources note that the helicopter was shot down near Kirovsk in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine.
The Mil Mi-28 (NATO reporting name “Havoc”) is a Russian all-weather, day-night, military tandem, two-seat anti-armor attack helicopter. It is an attack helicopter that carries a single gun in an undernose barbette, plus external loads carried on pylons beneath stub wings.
Screencaps 1-4: Missile (MANPADS?) makes an appearance, impacts Mi-28, small fire where fuselage meets tail boom, tail boom breaks up pic.twitter.com/JclPYNcHvR
— Mike Yeo 杨启铭 (@TheBaseLeg) April 1, 2022
The Mi-28 has a fully armoured cabin, including the windshield, which withstands impact by 7.62mm and 12.7mm bullets and 20mm shell fragments.
The pilot uses a helmet-mounted target designator, which allocates the target to the navigator’s surveillance and fire control system. The navigator / weapons officer is then able to deploy guided weapons or guns against the target. The targeting system follows the direction of the pilot’s eyes.