The Ukrainian Naval Aviation operation took place over the sea and used onboard weapons to intercept kamikaze drones, reducing the risk to residential areas while exposing the crew to a high-risk mission.
The crew of a Ukrainian Navy Naval Aviation Mi-8 helicopter destroyed 12 Russian Shahed kamikaze drones in just three hours during an interception operation carried out over the sea. Video of the action was released by the press service of the Ukrainian Navy.
According to the published information, the targets were shot down using the aircraft’s onboard weapons. The decision to carry out the interception over the sea was intended to reduce the possibility of debris falling on residential areas, at a time when drone attacks continue to represent a constant threat.
The mission, however, involved significant risks for the crew. Air operations over the sea are considered more complex than flights over land, requiring greater skill from the team under more challenging conditions. In addition, there remains the threat of a possible response from Russian aviation during this type of operation.
The use of helicopters to intercept enemy drones is not new in the conflict. Since the summer of 2024, Ukrainian Army aviation has been used more actively in this type of mission, especially after Russian drones began operating at increasingly higher altitudes.
The effectiveness of this type of interception depends on a number of factors, such as the crew’s level of training and the ability to detect targets early. Even so, destroying kamikaze drones with onboard weapons remains a delicate task.
This is because, in the event of an unsuccessful hit on the drone’s warhead, there is a risk of detonation and fragments striking the helicopter itself, especially if the aircraft is flying very close to the target at the moment of firing.
For this type of mission, Ukrainian aviation relies on Mi-8 helicopters specially adapted for aerial interception. These aircraft are equipped with optoelectronic stations featuring day and night channels, situational awareness resources, and an onboard weapons suite.
Among the equipment used on these helicopters are M134 machine guns, which increase their engagement capability against small aerial targets such as the Shahed drones frequently used in Russian attacks.
The episode underscores how drone warfare has increasingly required faster and more specialized responses, leading armed forces to adapt transport and support helicopters for improvised air defense missions that are becoming ever more relevant on the battlefield.
Source and images: Militarnyi | Telegram @ukrainian_navy, @militaryanalyse. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
