Friendly Fire from the Sky: Russian Choppers and the Price of Error
War’s a messy business. You train, you plan, you gear up, but the moment rounds start flying, the script goes out the window. What you’re left with is chaos, confusion, and mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes are just that – mistakes. Sometimes they get men killed. And sometimes, those men are your own.
These videos circulating online, drone footage mostly, paint a stark picture of the Russian military in Ukraine. It’s not just about Ukrainian drones picking off Russian hardware; it’s about Russians taking themselves out of the fight. And worse, taking out their own troops. We’re talking about friendly fire incidents from Russian helicopters – choppers raining down hell on their own lines. Pilot error? Maybe. Systemic breakdown? More likely. Whatever the reason, the drone’s eye doesn’t lie. These videos offer a brutal glimpse into the fog of war, and in this case, the smoke and fire is often courtesy of your own side.
Key Takeaways: Russian Helicopter Fails in Ukraine
Video 1: Ukrainian Naval Drone Claim: This video claims a Ukrainian naval drone destroyed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter. Key here is the naval drone aspect – a new tactic. If confirmed, it suggests Ukraine is pushing the envelope beyond just aerial drones, expanding their maritime drone capabilities to target air assets. It’s a shift in tactics, showing adaptability.
Videos 2 & 3: Ukrainian Helicopters vs. Russian Kamikaze Drones: These clips highlight the ongoing drone war, but in reverse. Ukrainian Mi-8s are shown hunting down Russian Shahed kamikaze drones. This underscores the threat drones pose and the resources being diverted to counter them. Note the use of helicopters for drone interception – a resource intensive task, but necessary. The "spectacular footage" tag in video 3’s title signals the propaganda value, but the core action is real enough.
Video 4: "Drunk Russian Helicopter Pilots BURN TO ASHES OWN GROUND FORCES": This is the gut punch. This video directly alleges a friendly fire incident. It claims Russian Ka-52 pilots, possibly inebriated (“drunk” is sensationalized, but pilot error is implied), targeted and destroyed Russian ground units. The description details command and control breakdowns as contributing factors, with units out of communication leading to tragic misidentification. The punishment of the pilot – reassignment to infantry – highlights the severity and the perceived blame, though the description also points to systemic issues beyond just pilot error. The follow-up mention of another friendly fire incident near Korenevo, and an accidental bomb drop in Lgov, reinforces a pattern of Russian air-ground coordination problems.
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Video 5: Russian Propaganda Counterpoint: This video is Russian propaganda showcasing the Ka-52’s effectiveness against Ukrainian targets – specifically T-72 tanks. It’s the other side of the coin, intended to demonstrate Russian air power and precision. Placed against the friendly fire allegations, it reads as a counter-narrative, attempting to reinforce Russian air force competence.
Video 6: Cheap Ukrainian Drones Downing Russian Helicopters: This video focuses on the evolving threat of cheap Ukrainian FPV (First-Person View) drones. It details how these inexpensive drones are becoming a threat even to helicopters, traditionally kings of the battlefield. The key insight here is cost-effectiveness: a $500 drone can potentially take out an $18 million helicopter. It points to a shift in aerial warfare dynamics, where asymmetric, low-cost technologies are challenging traditional, expensive military assets.
Carnage from Above: Command Failures and Battlefield Realities
What’s jumping out from these clips isn’t just Ukrainian effectiveness; it’s the self-inflicted wounds of the Russian military. Video 4, if accurate in its core claim of friendly fire due to pilot error exacerbated by command chaos, is damning. Forget about high-tech defenses, basic target identification and communication appear to be breaking down.
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We’re talking about more than just pilot screw-ups. This suggests a deeper rot in the Russian command structure. Hasty deployments, disjointed units, communication breakdowns – these aren’t excuses, they’re indicators of systemic failure. Punishing a pilot by sending him to the infantry might play well for propaganda purposes internally, making it look like someone’s being held accountable. But it doesn’t fix the systemic problems. It might even make them worse by demoralizing pilots and further weakening already strained air assets.
The other side of this is the rise of the cheap drone threat, as highlighted in Video 6. Ukraine’s innovative use of FPV drones is a game changer. Helicopters, designed to dominate ground forces, are now vulnerable to swarms of DIY drones costing peanuts in comparison. This isn’t just about technology; it’s about adaptation and resourcefulness versus rigid, hierarchical military structures.
Eyes in the Sky, Fire on the Ground
War isn’t glorious footage of explosions and heroic charges. It’s confusion, mistakes, and often, dying because someone on your own side screwed up. These videos, especially the ones alleging friendly fire, strip away the propaganda and expose the brutal reality. Watch them. See for yourself the chaos playing out in the skies and on the ground in Ukraine. It’s a harsh lesson in the cost of error, and in modern warfare, that cost is increasingly captured by the cold, unblinking eye of a drone.
Swipe down to discover the videos
Ukrainian naval drone destroys Russian helicopterThe Times and The Sunday Times101,218 views | 807 | December 31 2024 10:46:58 (149 comments)[ Read more … ]
Ukrainian military intelligence said on Tuesday its naval drone had destroyed a Russian helicopter and damaged another one in the Black Sea.
In a battle near Cape Tarkhankut on Crimea’s west coast on December 26, Magura V5 maritime drone equipped with missiles hit Russia’s Mi-8 helicopter, Ukraine’s GUR spy agency said on Telegram.
GUR claimed it was the first ever successful operation of a naval drone downing an air target.
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Watch: Ukrainian helicopter hunts down and destroys Russian kamikaze droneCGTN Europe1,107,692 views | 20,274 | December 7 2024 16:59:04 (585 comments)[ Read more … ]
Dramatic footage released by the Ukrainian military shows a Russian Shahed kamikaze drone being chased and destroyed by two Mi-8 helicopters. The Ukrainian Army choppers escorted the drone away from populated areas to protect civilians before taking it down with a machine gun strike. #Ukraine #Russia #drone
SPECTACULAR FOOTAGE OF UKRAINIAN HELICOPTER SHOOTING DOWN RUSSIAN SHAHED DRONE MID AIR || 2024Warthog Defense77,167 views | 7,575 | August 26 2024 17:00:17 (176 comments)[ Read more … ]
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20 Aug: UNBELIEVABLE FOOTAGE: Drunk Russian Helicopter Pilots BURN TO ASHES OWN GROUND FORCESReporting from Ukraine995,547 views | 50,445 | August 20 2024 02:30:22 (967 comments)[ Read more … ]
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Today there are a lot of updates from the Kursk direction.
Here, as the Ukrainian offensive continued to penetrate deeper into Russian territory, the Russian high command scrambled to fill the gaps with a patchwork of disjointed units. The resulting chaos within the Russian ranks, compounded by a breakdown in communication between these fragmented forces, led to a series of disastrous incidents, allowing Ukrainian forces to capitalize on this disarray, further accelerating their advance.
The inception of the problem occurred when Russian officials reacted to the Ukrainian incursion by declaring a counterterrorist operation in the region under the leadership of the Russian Federal Security Service. This decision directly conflicted with the fact that the Kursk region was already part of the responsibility area of the Northern Grouping of Forces which is led by the Russian Ministry of Defense. This disjointed command structure, involving several decision-making centers, has immediately led to friction and inefficiency. On top of that, the hastily assembled and under-strength units that Russians scrambled from various fronts and military groupings had no communication with each other, and this lack of coordination caused operation breakdowns, chaos, and disorganization. This problem has amplified the already weak Russian defense in the area, allowing the Ukrainian forces to take advantage of these problems and make significant gains. Even more, this complicated and bureaucratic command structure has reduced the overall combat effectiveness of the Russian armed forces and caused a serious record of deadly mistakes.
One of the earliest and most telling examples of the command-and-control failures within the Russian military is illustrated by a video published by Russian military bloggers. The footage was intended to showcase a Russian Ka-52M attack helicopter successfully engaging a column of armored and transport vehicles, which propagandists claimed to be Ukrainian. However, the narrative quickly unraveled, revealing a major blunder and highlighting the severe communication issues plaguing the Russian army. Ukrainian drone operators soon released their own footage, proving that the targeted column was, in fact, Russian. The helicopter pilots had unknowingly destroyed their own troops and equipment. Subsequent images of the aftermath emerged, showing the charred remains of Kamaz and Ural trucks, as well as an MSTA-S self-propelled howitzer. In a shocking twist, the Russian pilot responsible for the attack was later punished by his commanders, who removed him from his position and transferred him to an infantry regiment to fight as a regular soldier. This decision, as reported by Russian military bloggers, was met with outrage, as the punishment is similar to a death sentence and will further weaken Russian aviation forces in the region, which have already suffered significant losses due to Ukrainian anti-aircraft measures.
A similar incident unfolded just days later near Korenevo, where yet another Russian armored column was mistakenly struck by their forces. The attack was initially celebrated as a successful hit against Ukrainian troops, with Russian bloggers quickly boasting about it. However, perhaps learning from previous mistakes, they were more cautious this time. Although they rushed to declare victory, they deliberately avoided releasing any video footage, recognizing that the event was another tragic and humiliating misfire for them.
The challenges facing Russian aviation soon escalated further, highlighted by the next geolocated video broadcast by a major Russian TV station. Correspondents had been sent to cover defense preparations in the town of Lgov, but while filming on one of the streets, a massive explosion suddenly rocked the area, forcing them to scramble for cover. The reporters later returned to the scene of the blast, speculating that the city had come under attack from Ukrainian HIMARS-launched missiles. However, military analysts later debunked this claim, confirming that the explosion was yet another mistake by Russian air forces in the region. The blast was caused by an aviation bomb accidentally dropped by a Su-Thirty-Four combat jet, further underscoring the ongoing issues within Russia’s air operations. All uncensored footage of Russians assaulting their own forces can be found on our Telegram channel…
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In Seconds! Ka-52 Helicopter Destroys Two Ukrainian T-72M1 TanksRYU MILITARY424,002 views | 7,577 | August 15 2024 18:28:33 (512 comments)[ Read more … ]
In this video, we explore the formidable capabilities of the Ka-52 Alligator helicopter across several combat operations. From its precisely coordinated strikes in Krasny Liman, where it neutralizes two Ukrainian T-72M1 tanks using Vikhr missiles, to its resilience in the battles of Kursk and Gostomel. We also examine its intense forest assault and how the Alligator, equipped with advanced weaponry and defensive systems, asserts its dominance on the battlefield. Join us to witness the convergence of cutting-edge technology and military strategy.
In this video some footages associates ‘ Russian Ministry of Defense ‘ .
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Cheap Ukrainian drones vs. Russian helicopters: An interesting situation arose in the aerial battleKanal13145,105 views | 2,657 | September 8 2024 05:00:06 (52 comments)[ Read more … ]
#Kanal13 #likekanal13 #subscribekanal13 #warinukraine https://www.youtube.com/user/kanal13az?sub_confirmation=1 – SUBSCRIBE TO US! Recently, social networks were flooded with photos of a downed Russian Mi-8 helicopter. The biggest surprise was that it was destroyed by a cheap small drone of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
As The Economist writes, at first it was unclear whether this was a lucky hit or a sign of a breakthrough in the air war.
The Russian attack helicopters themselves played a relatively minor role. They were quickly driven away from the front line and began firing guided and unguided missiles from a long distance.
There have been previous cases of helicopters being destroyed by drones. In May 2022, a Bayraktar TB2 fired a missile to destroy a Russian transport helicopter on Zmeiny Island. However, back then, it was a machine that looked like a small plane, while now the Ukrainian Armed Forces are destroying targets with small FPV drones, most of which weigh less than 1 kg.
They are used as kamikaze drones and have already proven themselves to be extremely effective against ground vehicles and infantry, but until July they had never hit a helicopter.
Of course, there have been close encounters before, during which Ukrainian FPVs have chased Russian helicopters but failed to catch them. This UAV, loaded with explosives, can reach a maximum speed of about 150 km/h, while the Mi-8 can exceed 240 km/h. Drones have only one chance to hit them – if they are flying towards each other, or at the moment when the helicopter is circling or hovering.
In this regard, data on the movements of Russian helicopters is vital when attacking drones. Since July, Ukraine has been using drones with software that can receive data from air defense radars and other sensors and calculate a target interception course. The operator maintains this course until the drone enters the visibility zone. There have even been videos on social media of Ukrainian drones intercepting Russian reconnaissance UAVs. It turns out that this method also works for helicopters.
Of course, helicopter pilots have ways to protect themselves. While heat-seeking missiles are useless against drones, attack helicopters can use their automatic cannon against them. If that fails, the pilot can maneuver or increase speed to escape, abandoning his mission.
Drones have one big advantage – they are incredibly cheap to make. FPVs cost about $500 to produce, and volunteers make them on their kitchen tables with soldering irons. So sending dozens of drones at a single target is much cheaper than launching a heat-seeking missile. The Stinger, for example, costs $500,000 per use. It has a maximum range of about 8 km and must be used within sight of the target. However, FPVs have a range of 20 km and can be launched well out of sight.
“If FPV can be successfully used in combination with these missiles, helicopters will have nowhere to hide, which will further limit their use. Ukrainians watched with pleasure the burning wreckage of the Russian copter worth $18 million. They hope for more,” the publication concludes. http://youtube.com/kanal13az/join – click here and support Kanal13 monthly for distributing more videos and independent journalism
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