Ukrainian marine drone makes history with helicopter takedown
During the night, Ukrainian drones attacked targets in Russian-occupied Crimea. Marine drones also participated in the operation. One of them, the Magura V5, battled two Russian helicopters in a naval battle. The vessel, armed with rockets, shot down one of the helicopters and seriously damaged the other.
"This is a historic attack; for the first time in the world, a marine drone has destroyed an air target," stated Ukrainian military intelligence.
The Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) announced that they were the first in the world to shoot down a helicopter using a marine drone. The incident occurred near the Tarkhankut Peninsula, in the northwestern part of occupied Crimea.
"On December 31, 2024, the HUR special unit 'Group 13' for the first time in history struck an air target using the Magura V5 marine strike drone, equipped with missile weapons," HUR reported on its Telegram channel.
The marine drone Magura V5, used in this operation, was equipped with the R-73 'SeeDragon' missile. A Russian Mi-8 multi-purpose helicopter was shot down. "Another enemy helicopter was hit but managed to reach its base," HUR added.
Recording of the attack
The announcement was accompanied by a video recording from a camera mounted on the Ukrainian drone. The film shows the unmanned aerial vehicle being attacked from the air, probably with machine gun fire. The moment when the Russian helicopter is hit and falls into the Black Sea is also visible.
The recording background features the carol "Szczedryk," known worldwide as "Carol of the Bells," composed by Ukrainian musician Mykola Leontovych. The film ends with the caption: "Happy New Year 2025."
