Ukraine says navy drone destroys Russian helicopter for the first time by Reuters

(Reuters) – Ukrainian military intelligence said on Tuesday that one of its naval drones destroyed a Russian helicopter and damaged another in the Black Sea.

In a battle near Cape Tarkhankut on the western coast of Crimea on Tuesday, a Magura V5 naval drone equipped with missiles hit a Russian Mi-8 helicopter, Ukrainian spy agency GUR said on Telegram.

GUR said it was the first time that a Ukrainian Navy drone had shot down an air target. Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.

There was no comment from Russia. Mikhail Razvozaev, the Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol in Crimea, said on Telegram that two drone ships were destroyed near the coast overnight.

Following the large-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine ramped up drone production and developed naval attack drones.

Prominent Russian military blogger Voiny Usveditil also reported that a Russian helicopter was shot down by a Ukrainian Navy drone. GUR said that a second Russian helicopter was able to reach the airport after it was damaged in the attack.

In grainy footage released by GUR, a helicopter can be seen flying over the water being targeted by several projectiles. The plane was filmed falling after the attack. Reuters could not immediately verify the video.

The Ukrainian military used naval drones to strike Russian warships and facilities in the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow seized and annexed in 2014.