Russia loses a helicopter in Melitopol

Russian invasion troops have lost a helicopter at an airfield in temporarily occupied Melitopol. The video featuring the wrecked aircraft of the army of the aggressor state was published on social media. The footage was taken by a Russian military officer on board another helicopter.

The published video shows how a Russian multi-purpose transport helicopter, supposedly Mi-8 or its modification, takes off from the airfield.

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A few seconds into the video, the camera catches the remains of a burned helicopter of the invasion army.

Destroyed Russian helicopter, Melitopol, 2023. Frame from video in social media

However, due to the complete destruction of the fuselage and other elements of the aircraft, it is difficult to identify the remains of which helicopter were found at the military airfield in the temporarily occupied Melitopol, Zaporizhzhya region.

Destroyed Russian helicopter, Melitopol, 2023.

Frame from video in social media

It is currently unknown whether this Russian helicopter was destroyed by an AFU strike, or it burned down due to other reasons, such as a technical malfunction or an emergency landing. At the military airfield in Melitopol, Russian combat and transport helicopters, as well as Russian attack aircraft are based, which the invaders use to strike the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the south direction.

Melitopol. Photo from open sources

Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia region has been under Russian occupation almost since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russian troops.

The invaders consider the city to be rear, so the contingent and equipment of the enemy periodically arrives there. At the same time, explosions are constantly heard in the city and collaborators working for the aggressor country are destroyed.

Military ID of Lieutenant of the Russian Armed Forces Dmytro Mishov, May 2023. Photo credits: BBC

As previously reported, a 26-year-old lieutenant Dmitry Mishov, who was a navigator-systems operator of a combat helicopter, fled from Russia to one of the Baltic countries.

In an interview with the BBC, he spoke about Russian losses and hardships in the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation.