Ukraine has repeatedly successfully attacked Russia’s Black Sea Fleet with surface drones. With such unmanned boats it is now targeting Russian attack helicopters and has thus destroyed an air target for the first time. The Ukrainian secret service HUR spoke of a “historic blow”.
The images published by HUR on social media (see video above) show a MAGURA V5 naval drone with a Russian Mi-8 helicopter near Cape Tarkhankut, the westernmost point of the Crimean Peninsula, which has been occupied by Russian forces since 2014 with an R-73 rocket.
HUR: Global Premiere Launch
According to HUR, a Ukrainian special unit has shot down a helicopter with a maritime drone for the first time in the world. Another helicopter was damaged but was apparently able to return to its base, it was said.
The only 5.5 meter long kamikaze drone MAGURA V5 (an acronym for the English name Maritime Autonomous Guard Unmanned Robotic Apparatus) reportedly has a range of 800 kilometers, reaches a top speed of almost 80 km/h and is versatile.
Warships have been sunk several times with drones
With their help, Ukraine has sunk or seriously damaged Russian warships several times in the past. Only in June 2024 did the Ukrainian secret service announce that the naval drone would also be equipped with anti-aircraft missiles.
The R-73 (NATO reporting name: AA-11, “Archer”) is a third-generation former Soviet short-range air-to-air missile developed in the 1970s. The first examples were delivered to the Soviet Air Force in the mid-1980s and almost twenty countries later purchased this guided missile.
Moscow has not provided any information about the shooting down of the helicopter. The Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol said only on Telegram that two unmanned drones had been destroyed near the coast on Tuesday evening.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
