Russia Reports Loss of Ka-52 Helicopter

7 November, 2024 Ka-52 attack helicopter. Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Russian media reported the loss of a Ka-52 attack helicopter.

This was stated by several Russian bloggers associated with Russian aviation, including Fighterbomber and Voevoda Veshaet bloggers. It is reported that the Ka-52 commander was killed while the co-pilot (weapon systems operator - ed.) survived. Russian bloggers have not yet disclosed any other details.

Presumably, the navigator managed to escape thanks to the helicopter's ejection system.

A message from Russian bloggers about the loss of a Russian Ka-52 helicopter on November 7, 2024

The Russian Ka-52 helicopter is a powerful weapon capable of causing significant damage. According to various estimates, before the full-scale invasion, the Russian Aerospace Forces had between 140 and 160 of these combat helicopters. At the beginning of the war, the helicopters took part in attacks on targets in the Kyiv region, including the airport in Hostomel.

During the war, the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed or damaged a significant number of these Russian helicopters. According to Oryx analysts, over 60 Ka-52 helicopters have been lost by the Russians during the war, though precise data remains unavailable.

The wreckage of a downed Russian Ka-52 in the Kherson region. October 2022.

Ukraine. Frame from the video of the 128th Brigade of the Armed Forces

As per one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces officers, "if you see black smoke stretching behind a helicopter, it does not mean that it is destroyed. It may land somewhere in the occupied territory, and then it will be repaired."

In August 2024, Russian troops lost a Ka-52 attack helicopter with its crew in the Kursk oblast.