The Russian Shahed drone shot down by an army helicopter

27 August, 2024 Mi-8MT helicopter of the Ukrainian military. Photo credits: SC Ukroboronprom

Ukrainian servicemen shot down a Russian Shahed-136 attack drone from a Mi-8 helicopter of the army aviation. The video was posted on social media on August 26.

A helicopter used to intercept an enemy loitering munition detected and pursued it at low altitude. According to the video, the Russian Shahed-136 drone was hit by fire from a machine gun or an onboard gunner from a machine gun turret in the side door of the Mi-8. A direct hit caused the Russian Shahed drone to descend rapidly and explode after it hit the ground.

Thus, it did not reach its intended target. The powerful explosion, which was captured on video by an eyewitness, shows that even a downed Shahed-136/Geran-2 loitering munition poses a danger to people, buildings, and infrastructure in the area. The use of helicopters to counter enemy drones in the sky over Ukraine is not the first time.

Previously, a video was published of a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter shooting down a Russian Shahed drone with a nose-mounted machine gun. A direct hit from a 7.62 machine gun resulted in the explosion of a Russian loitering munition in the sky above the pond.