A significant event occurred today, where a naval drone fired a missile, reportedly downing a £12 million Russian Mi-8 military helicopter off the coast of occupied Crimea.
New footage reveals capabilities of Russia’s military intelligence.
Video footage captured the Mi-8 helicopter frantically dispensing flares in a bid to outrun the pursuing R-73 ‘Sea Dragon’ missile.
The helicopter is observed plummeting into the ocean after being struck by the missile.
“On 31 December, 2024, personnel from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence Group 13 conducted a historic operation, deploying an unmanned Magura V5 sea drone equipped with missile capabilities to successfully attack an aerial target,” the Ministry of Defence stated.
A Russian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by “Sea Dragon” R-73 missiles during a battle in the Black Sea off the coast of Tarkhankut in occupied Crimea.
An identical enemy helicopter managed to narrowly escape and land safely on the base airfield after being targeted by fire.
The R-73 is a short-range, heat-seeking missile which Ukraine has modified for use on unmanned aerial vehicles in the air.
Russia has yet to officially confirm the loss of one of its military helicopters.
Mikhail Razvozhaev, Sevastopol’s Russian-governor, announced on Telegram that the city witnessed the destruction of two unmanned maritime reconnaissance vessels near its coast late at night.
The Magura V5 drones are remotely controlled, typically carrying up to 200 kilograms of high explosives.
Their length of just 5.5 metres is a significant factor in making them incredibly difficult to target and destroy.
Their normal operational range is approximately 248 miles or 400km. However, they can be used over longer distances of up to 800km, and are capable of running continuously for up to 60 hours.
Magura V5s usually operate at a speed of 41 km per hour, reaching a maximum speed of 78 km per hour. Their production costs approximately £218,000.
RUSSIA’S DEFENSE MINISTRY HAS CONFIRMED THAT DEFENSE SYSTEMS INTERCEPTED 17 ENEMY DRONES OVER CRIMEA DURING THE NIGHT.
It simultaneously carried out an aerial assault on Ukraine, pounding the capital and other areas with numerous missiles and drones on Tuesday.
Ukraine’s air force announced a ballistic missile warning at 3:00 a.m. GMT, accompanied by at least two explosions in Kyiv minutes later. An additional missile alert was sounded at 8:00 a.m., after which at least one explosion occurred in the city.
Debris from a missile reportedly landed in the Darnytskyi district of the capital, although no injuries or damage have been reported according to the local authorities.
Authorities in northeastern Sumy announced strikes near Shostka city, affecting the mayor’s hometown, where twelve residential buildings were damaged, and two educational institutions suffered damage.
Ukrainian conflict has also seen missile and drone strikes in other parts of the country.
Moscow’s Defence Ministry stated that its military units have successfully targeted a Ukrainian airbase and an ammunition production facility.
Half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been crippled in the conflict, resulting in frequent and country-wide power outages.
Ukraine’s western allies have supplied air defence systems to shield vital infrastructure, but Russia has attempted to overpower these defences by carrying out joint strikes consisting of numerous missiles and drones simultaneously.
Read more
