Russia Claims Mi-28NM Helicopter Strike Killed Ukrainian Drone Crew

This footage purports to show a Russian attack helicopter firing a guided missile at a Ukrainian drone control post.

Russian Ministry of Defence footage from 1st September reportedly shows the helicopter firing missiles, allegedly at the Ukrainian drone control post.

The video shows the helicopter taking off and flying out before cutting to the missile being fired. The footage does not show them reaching their alleged targets.

The Russian MoD claimed in a statement: "The crew of an Mi-28NM helicopter destroyed a control point for unmanned aerial vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces along with personnel in the area of responsibility of the Vostok group of forces.

"'We are carrying out tasks to cover the ground forces. Over the past week our crew has carried out seven sorties to destroy the enemy, launching nine Izdeliye-305 light multipurpose guided missiles. All of them on target. The command post plans and organises our combat work daily, and we carry it out,' said the navigator-operator of the Mi-28NM helicopter with the call sign Tatarin.

"During the combat mission, the helicopter crew carried out a strike with a light multipurpose guided missile at the given coordinates.

"According to a reconnaissance report, the target was hit.

"After completing the combat mission, the crew returned to its home airfield."

The Mi-28NM is an upgraded version of a Russian attack helicopter that first flew in the 1980s, with the improved model entering service around 2019.

We have not been able to independently verify the images or the statement.

(Joe Golder/Clipzilla/NX)