Multiple Russian pro-war Telegram channels report that a Russian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down over Russian-occupied Donetsk. Some sources claim Ukrainian forces used a drone for the first time in such an attack.
While Ukraine has repeatedly requested Western approval to strike Russian territory with supplied weapons, current restrictions limit such actions to border areas. In response, Ukraine has been developing its own long-range strike capabilities, particularly drones, to target deeper into Russian soil and Russian-occupied territory.
Well-known Russian war correspondent Boris Rozhin states that Ukrainian forces struck the Mi-8 with a drone during takeoff, far from the front line. However, another pro-Russian channel initially supporting this claim later suggested the helicopter was hit by a HIMARS rocket, citing eyewitness accounts.
Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov emphasized the potential significance of the event.
“If confirmed, this drone strike on a Russian helicopter at a rear airfield is a historic achievement worthy of Ukraine’s highest awards,” Butusov wrote on Telegram.
He noted that while previous attempts to intercept helicopters at the front line were unsuccessful, this would mark the first such attack deep behind enemy lines.
The Mi-8, valued at approximately $15 million, was reportedly transporting wounded Russian personnel. Pro-Kremlin sources indicate that the crew and passengers likely perished in the crash.
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