Defense forces shot down a Russian Mi-28 helicopter worth $18 million using an FPV drone

A Ukrainian FPV anti-aircraft interceptor drone destroyed a Russian Mi-28NM attack helicopter, known as the “Night Hunter.” The operation was carefully planned, and a VB-140 “Blyskavka” drone, costing only a few thousand dollars, was used to take down the target.

According to him, the Russian helicopter was lured into a trap. Preparations for destroying the aerial target began well in advance, as the Mi-28NM had been regularly using guided missiles to strike positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

“The operation was thoroughly planned. We received information from our allies that the enemy had begun to very actively use army aviation in a certain sector of the front. We knew that it sometimes appeared in certain populated areas,” noted “Hector.”

A battery of interceptor UAVs kept drones in the air around the clock, awaiting the appearance of the Russian helicopter. When the target was finally spotted, Ukrainian troops immediately launched an attack.

According to “Hector,” the estimated cost of a Mi-28NM is $18 million, while a Ukrainian interceptor drone costs only a few thousand dollars.

At the same time, the operation presented additional challenges: the Russian helicopter was destroyed on the territory of the Russian Federation, where a powerful electronic warfare (EW) system is in place. Because of this, piloting the drone and carrying out the mission required special training.

“This helicopter was destroyed on the territory of the Russian Federation, where there is a very powerful EW system. It’s very difficult to fly there, so the drone was adapted. And we had to fly very low to the ground. It was one of the most high-value targets. In the summer, we managed to take down an enemy ‘Orion.’ That’s also a pretty high-value target and caused a lot of damage,” said the chief sergeant of the UAV interceptor battery of the 115th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

Thus, the Ukrainian military used a relatively inexpensive drone to take down an expensive Russian combat helicopter. The operation also demonstrated the difficulty of intercepting aerial targets amid active electronic warfare countermeasures.

“Hector”—the chief sergeant of the UAV interceptor battery of the 115th Separate Mechanized Brigade—spoke on “Army FM” radio about the details of the hunt for Russian military aviation.