31 December 2024

Ukrainian Intelligence Reports the Destruction of a Russian Helicopter Using the Magura V5 Naval Drone

On December 31, near Cape Tarkhankut in the Black Sea, operatives of the special unit Group 13 of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine destroyed an aerial target for the first time in history using a Magura V5 strike naval drone equipped with missile weaponry, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine reported.

The use of R-73 SeeDragon missiles destroyed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter. Another helicopter of the same type sustained damage but returned to its base.

Details of the incident were revealed through radio interception acquired by Ukrainian intelligence. The Russian pilot of the damaged helicopter provided a panicked account of the attack:

“There was a bang—something hit me. The launch came from the water. Then there was another flash. I didn’t see where it went, but the first one came directly at me and exploded nearby—I felt it on the helicopter; some systems failed.”

Earlier, it was recorded that another Russian Mi-8 helicopter struck by operatives of the Main Intelligence Directorate using the Magura naval platform crashed into the Black Sea. This has been confirmed through video evidence.

The deployment of the Magura V5 strike naval drone to neutralize the Russian Mi-8 helicopter marks a significant technological breakthrough for Ukraine’s defense forces. This incident underscores Ukraine’s strategic advantage in employing innovative tools in its fight against the aggressor and highlights the adaptability and exceptional professionalism of Ukrainian operatives. Such operations bolster Ukrainian defense capabilities and reaffirm the irreversibility of Ukraine’s path toward victory over the occupier.