A Russian military helicopter has reportedly been downed by a Ukrainian FPV drone, forcing an emergency landing in the Kursk region.
The incident with the Mi-8 heliport, reported by the defense-focused publication Militarniy, highlights the growing threat posed by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian military assets.
According to sources cited by Militarniy, the helicopter came under intense fire from Ukrainian forces but managed to exit the combat zone before suffering critical damage to its control systems. The damage forced the crew to make an emergency landing, during which the helicopter sustained further harm.
Photographs of the downed aircraft reveal extensive damage, including a severely damaged tail boom that partially separated from the main fuselage. Additionally, the helicopter’s landing gear was completely destroyed, and the ramp sustained significant damage.
Ukrainian activist and volunteer Serhii Sternenko confirmed the incident, stating that the helicopter was brought down by soldiers of the M2 Special Operations Center of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) using an FPV drone. “The helicopter was forced to land urgently; the crew survived,” Sternenko wrote.
The use of FPV (First Person View) drones has increasingly become a formidable tactic for Ukrainian forces, posing a significant threat to Russian helicopters on the battlefield. These drones, operated remotely with real-time video feed, allow Ukrainian forces to target enemy aircraft with precision.