Russia lost two attack helicopters in three minutes Monday, picked off in rapid succession by Ukraine’s air defenses, Kyiv’s military authorities said.
The Ka-52 “Alligator” attack choppers were brought down near the town of Berislav in Kherson province along the Dniper River, where Russian forces are bracing for an expected Ukrainian offensive.
“Two Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters were shot down by a unit of the Odesa anti-aircraft missile brigade of the Air Command South,” the Ukrainian air force said in a statement posted to social media.
“Death to the Russian invaders!” they added.
According to the Ukrainian air force, one helicopter was shot down at 6:45 p.m., the other at 6:48 p.m.
The Ka-52 — a small, two-seat attack helicopter recognizable by its distinctive double rotor — has been a mainstay of Russia’s invasion force since the beginning of the war.
The aircraft, designed to conduct reconnaissance and designate targets for artillery as well as to conduct assaults on its own, has been targeted to devastating effect by Ukraine’s forces.
The British Ministry of Defense said last month that at least 23 of the helicopters — also known by their NATO reporting name, the Ka-52 “Hokum” — had been destroyed in the war.
“This represents over 25% of the Russian Air Force’s in-service fleet of 90 Ka-52s, and nearly half of Russia’s total helicopter losses in Ukraine,” the ministry said.
