A Russian Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter was shot down by a fiber-optic FPV drone used by soldiers from the 1st Unmanned Systems Battalion “Sky Predators,” a unit integrated into Ukraine’s 59th Brigade.
The information was released by General Cherry, the manufacturer of the FPV drone “General Cherry OPTIX,” identified as the vector responsible for the attack.
According to the company, the use of fiber-optic FPV drones offers a decisive advantage in missions of this type: resistance to electronic warfare. Even so, the manufacturer emphasized that the ability to hit a helicopter in flight depends on a broader combination of factors, such as speed, accuracy, and battlefield tactics.
“A set of decisions plays a role here: speed and application tactics. Bringing down helicopters or other aerial targets in flight is a very difficult task. Therefore, these cases of shootdowns by FPV drones are truly unique,” said a company representative.
According to the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, the Ka-52 was intercepted near the village of Nadiivka, in the Donetsk region.
According to the released information, the drone hit a suspended block of S-8 unguided aerial rockets installed on the helicopter. The impact caused a fire that ultimately destroyed the aircraft.
The crew managed to perform an emergency landing and abandon the burning helicopter. However, the Russian pilots were reportedly located by a reconnaissance drone and later struck by attack drones.
General Cherry reported that the OPTIX model is available in three basic platforms, with 10, 13, and 15-inch frames. The drones can be equipped with fiber-optic spools with ranges of 15, 20, 25, 30, and up to 35 kilometers, allowing different configurations depending on the mission.
The case reinforces the growing role of FPV drones in the conflict and highlights the performance of the “Sky Predators” unit, which had already been involved in a similar episode. On September 29, 2025, the same battalion managed to shoot down a Russian Mi-8 helicopter using a 10-inch Shrike-10 FPV drone equipped with a PG-7M warhead.
The downing of the Ka-52 draws attention not only because of the strategic value of the target, but also due to the level of sophistication and adaptation that fiber-optic drones are bringing to the modern combat environment.
Source and images: MilitaryNewsUA X @front_ukrainian | General Cherry | Wikimedia. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
❗️Full video: 🇺🇦Ukrainian FPV drone operator from the 59th brigade destroys a 🇷🇺Russian Ka-52 on the Pokrovsk direction. After ejection, the crew was eliminated. pic.twitter.com/GUBkf5kifT
— 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) March 20, 2026
