Ukrainian drone pilots have destroyed a Russian helicopter using an FPV drone, according to the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert “Madyar” Brovdi.
“The Mi-28 helicopter was destroyed by pilots of the 59th Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces with an FPV drone,” Brovdi initially wrote on Telegram, releasing video of the strike.
The 30-second clip shows the drone hitting the aircraft, triggering an explosion before the helicopter bursts into flames and crashes in a cloud of black smoke. The location of the attack has not been disclosed. Kyiv Post was unable to independently verify the contents or the time and dateof the video.
Russian military bloggers, however, claimed a Mi-8 transport helicopter was hit, not a Mi-28, and that the pilots survived.
“Everything is fine, the guys were picked up by infantry and evacuated,” the Telegram channel Supernova+ wrote.
The Mi-28, known as the “Night Hunter,” is a modern Russian attack helicopter designed to destroy armored vehicles, fortifications, and enemy personnel. It is armed with a 30 mm cannon, guided and unguided missiles, and features an armored crew cabin and advanced night-fighting systems.
Russia supplies Mi-28 helicopters to Iran and actively deploys them in its war against Ukraine. According to open data, each helicopter costs around $18 million.
According to Oryx, which tracks visually confirmed equipment losses, at least 18 Mi-28s have been destroyed or damaged since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, the true number might be higher, as Moscow seeks to conceal its losses.
Mi-8 is Soviet/Russian multi-purpose helicopter introduced in the 1960s, used in troop and cargo transport, medevac, airdrops, and combat missions. It can carry up to 24 passengers or several tons of cargo, and remains in service worldwide due to its reliability and versatility.
However, later, the “Height Predators” - the 1st Unmanned Systems Battalion of the 59th Separate Assault Brigade named after Yakiv Handziuk - published the full video of the helicopter’s destruction on Telegram, confirming it was in fact a Mi-8.
“Today we have added another ‘bold’ target to our collection. The crew of ‘Baltika’ destroyed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter worth over $10 million - and they did it with a small FPV drone worth only $500,” the unit reported.
They stressed that the success was made possible through the coordinated work of intelligence, headquarters, and drone pilots.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) last year downed two Russian helicopters in flight – a Mi-28 attack helicopter and a Mi-8 transport - using a Ukrainian-made Darts FPV fixed-wing drone worth only $1,000.
According to UNITED24, both strikes were carried out by the SBU’s Special Operations Center “A” in the Kursk region in August 2024. The first incident, on Aug. 6, saw an SBU operator known as “Glyba” hit a Mi-28 while it hovered during a tactical landing. Days later, the same unit intercepted a Mi-8, striking it “right in the tail.”
Earlier footage verified by Kyiv Post showed the Mi-28 strike, initially thought to have been carried out with a quadcopter or anti-aircraft system. Defense Express later confirmed both helicopters were hit with the Darts drone, which carries a larger warhead and has greater range and speed than quadcopters.
Glyba recalled that during the first mission he was tasked with confirming a strike on an armored vehicle when he noticed what looked like a shadow in a field.
“When we got closer, we realized it was a helicopter. We directed the drone at it,” he said. After impact, “we were stunned for about five seconds” before realizing the hit was successful.
The Mi-28 was reportedly carrying an assault team, while the Mi-8 was chased for nearly 10 minutes before being intercepted at low altitude. Glyba said the Darts drone was originally designed for stationary targets, yet proved capable of downing aircraft