First Strike: GUR Reveals Details of Historic Drone Downing of Two Russian Mi-8 Helicopters (Video)

The military special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, "Group 13," successfully shot down airborne targets for the first time in history on December 31 using a missile from the Ukrainian maritime drone Magura V5. Two Russian Mi-8 helicopters were destroyed, while another sustained damage but managed to reach the airport. The commander of the GUR special unit, known by the call sign "Thirteenth," shared details of this unprecedented strike in an interview with TSN.

"Thirteenth" emphasized that during the operation, the reconnaissance team was intentionally on a "hunt," rather than hiding from enemy helicopters as is usually the case.

"We were specifically out hunting for aerial targets. We were filled with inspiration for the encounter with the enemy," said the fighter.

Russia is forced to constantly patrol the Black Sea with aircraft due to numerous successful attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russian vessels, so swift action was necessary.

"They detected us. We began our operations. The maximum we had right next to us was three helicopters at one moment, despite the 'Sushki' that were flying around. A helicopter is quite fast. Once you see it on the camera, you have literally a minute to get into a favorable position and launch," explained the commander.

According to "Thirteenth," the operator of the Magura V5 drone was able to hit the Russian helicopter with the first strike.

"The first launch was right on target; they didn’t even understand what had happened, they were firing off aerial flares. Then, after some time, we received confirmation of hitting two. In total, we have two destroyed and one damaged," the military personnel stated.

"Thirteenth" noted that the tactics for operating maritime drones had to be developed "from scratch" because there were no existing instructions detailing how to effectively use them in combat. Additionally, the Magura V5 has evolved, been upgraded, and its capabilities have improved over time.

"Our capabilities have increased threefold in terms of weather conditions, range, and overall quality of the product, including the potential for further upgrades," said the reconnaissance officer.

He hopes that Ukrainian fighters will soon be able to shoot down not only helicopters but also airplanes using maritime drones.

As a reminder, on December 31, the press service of the agency reported that for the first time in the world, GUR fighters hit an aerial target from a maritime drone. Initially, it was reported that near Cape Tarkhankut, missiles R-73 SeeDragon from the maritime drone Magura V5 were used by the GUR special forces "Group 13" to shoot down one enemy Mi-8 helicopter.

On January 2, the GUR clarified the information and reported that in the battle near Crimea on December 31, another Mi-8 helicopter of the RF was shot down, while a third aircraft was damaged and managed to land at the airport.