Ukrainian military intelligence reported on Tuesday that one of its naval drones successfully destroyed a Russian helicopter and inflicted damage on another in the Black Sea. During a confrontation near Cape Tarkhankut on Crimea’s western coast, a Magura V5 maritime drone, armed with missiles, targeted a Russian Mi-8 helicopter, according to Ukraine’s GUR intelligence agency via Telegram. This incident marks the first occasion where a Ukrainian naval drone has successfully engaged an aerial target.

There has been no response from Russian officials. Mikhail Razvozhaev, the governor of Sevastopol appointed by Russia, stated on Telegram that two unmanned drone vessels were destroyed off the coast overnight. Since Russia’s large-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has significantly increased its drone production and developed naval attack drones. The incident involving the downing of a Russian helicopter by a Ukrainian naval drone was also noted by the well-known Russian military blogger, Voenny Osvedomitel. The GUR indicated that a second Russian helicopter was able to return to the airfield after sustaining damage from the attack.

In footage released by GUR, a helicopter can be seen flying over water and being struck by multiple projectiles, ultimately falling after the assault. Kyiv’s military has employed maritime drones to target Russian warships and installations on the Crimean peninsula, which was seized and annexed by Moscow in 2014.