The Russian milblogger Voivode Broadcast reported the loss of another Kamov Ka-52 “Alligator” (NATO: Hokum-B) attack helicopter along with its “experienced” two-man crew via Telegram on Saturday morning in an incident caused by “reasons unrelated to enemy action.”
The Fighterbomber Telegram channel, allegedly run by Captain Ilya Tumanov – a serving member of Russia’s armed forces and another pro-Moscow commentator – seemed to confirm the report in his customary understated manner: “The sky takes the best…” illustrated by the image reproduced above.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense has yet to comment on the claims and currently there has been no other information on the location and circumstances of the crash.
The military issues website Defence Blog, citing “multiple [unspecified] Russian sources” claimed the aircraft came down in a combat zone after becoming disoriented while flying at extremely low altitude in poor weather while returning from a combat mission.
A third milblogger, Kirill Fedorov, who posts on the “History of the Weapons of War” Telegram channel, bemoaned the loss of “a friend and comrade,” with whom he had served since 2023 along with the aircraft’s commander – described as “a very young guy... recipient of the ‘Order of Courage’.” The post was illustrated with images that seemed to be of his friend, along with his Ka-52 aircraft.
The Alligator loses its teeth in Ukraine
The Kamov Ka-52 Alligator two-seat attack helicopter – a development of the earlier Ka-50 Black Shark – entered serial production in 2011 and was valued at $16 million in 2023. It is considered Russia’s most advanced rotary wing combat aircraft and is said to have day/night/all-weather capability flying at speeds of up to 300 kph (186 mph). It has a maximum takeoff weight of 10,800 kilograms (23,750 pounds), a flight ceiling of 5,500 meters (18,000 feet) and capable of carrying combat weapons with a load of up to 2,800 kilograms (6,200 pounds).
The attack helicopter is used for a range of tasks including reconnaissance, battlefield coordination, and strikes against armored and unarmored ground targets and aerial threats. Its main armament is the 30mm 2A42 autocannon and it can carry a range of guided missiles and free flight rockets.
According to the open-source intelligence (OSINT) project Oryx, Moscow has lost more than 60 Ka-52, helicopters either destroyed or damaged by a combination of losses during combat, the result of Ukrainian attacks on airfields, and accidents caused by pilot error or component failure. This total is from around 90 at the start of the war in Ukraine. Commentators suggest that the aircraft, which was designed more than 30 years ago, is simply susceptible to modern air defense weapons during combat.