A number of Russian military reporters’ accounts claim that the Russian Armed Forces have created special helicopter units to hunt Ukrainian kamikaze drones.
New units on Mi-28N attack helicopters are being deployed in several regions to defeat cheap Ukrainian drones, according to the Military Informant telegram channel. The channel has close ties to the Russian military, especially its special operations forces.
Helicopter crews are training to intercept drones day or night in all types of weather, the channel said.
The Russian military plans to scramble attack helicopters to expel and destroy the “intruders” with a 30mm 2A42 Shipunov autocannon, which was developed for Russian armored vehicles.
There have been previous attempts to use Mi-28s as “interceptors” for drones. In particular, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported almost a week ago that two Russian Mi-28s and one aircraft were chasing one of the Ukrainian drones near Cape Tarkhankut in the temporarily occupied Crimea, but the intercept failed.
The Soviet-designed Mi-28 has been used by the Russian Air Force since the mid-2000s and is also exported to a number of countries, including Iraq. The Mi-28N Night Hunter is an upgraded version of the Mi-28 combat helicopter.