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Debris of a Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopter shot down on March 17 near Lukashivka
in the Sumy region.
Ukrainian MiG-29 shot down on March 8 near the village
of Shevchenko in the Donetsk region.
Series of shots documenting a Russian attack on three Ukrainian helicopters
at a forward base near Novopavlivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where two
aircraft were destroyed on March 12.
the 12th Independent Army Aviation Brigade
at a forward base near Novopavlivka in the
Dnipropetrovsk region. They attacked with
cluster munitions. Two Mi-17V-5 helicopters
were destroyed, while the third Mi-8MT
escaped. Two Ukrainian pilots, Captain Yaroslav
Kava and Captain Andriy Bakun, lost their lives.
In the Kherson region in southern Ukraine
on Sunday, March 17, another Ukrainian Mi-8
helicopter was shot down by portable rockets.
The burning aircraft continued flying low above
the ground, and two crew members jumped out,
surviving with injuries. The pilot who enabled
them to jump, however, did not survive. He was
Vitaliy Plekha from the 16th Independent Army
Aviation Brigade.
On the opposite side of the battlefield, near
Lukashivka in the Sumy region in northern
Ukraine, near the border with Russia, a Mi-24
helicopter was shot down on the same day,
March 17. Russian soldiers managed to hit it with
a portable missile, reportedly a 9K333 Verba.
At least one crew member did not survive the
subsequent crash. This incident was related to
helicopter operations and its loss, tied to the
activities of Russian volunteer units fighting
on Ukraine's side. They comprise a diverse
mix of individuals with various motives – from
Russian right-wing extremists to minority
members seeking independence from Russia.
In the past, they have made several forays into
Russian border villages, but always quickly
withdrew back into Ukrainian territory. This
time was different. Russian legions, supported
by tanks, occupied at least two villages and
fought on Russian territory for a whole week.
One of these villages on Russian soil, Kozinka in
the Belgorod region, was completely destroyed
by bombing and artillery. This was intended
to prevent Russian volunteers fighting on
Ukraine's side from establishing a permanent
presence there.
Second Black Hawk
During these operations on Russian soil,
Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) used
two Black Hawk helicopters. It was previously
known that only one was in Ukrainian service.
The first helicopter is a former U.S. Army
UH-60A, originally serial number 80-23439,
which received civilian designation N60FW
after being retired from military service.
The machine underwent a general overhaul
and modernization by Ace Aeronautics from
Alabama. The helicopter retained its civilian
blue and black coloring, which made it
identifiable. The second Black Hawk has an
overall green color, Ukrainian national symbols
on the sides, and white identification stripes
on the tail. It bears the emblem of military
intelligence aviation and the number 0420 on
the nose. The Ukrainians likely obtained it from
one of the private companies in the West.
The last known loss during this period was
a strike on a training L-39 Albatros aircraft at
Kulbakino base in the Mykolaiv region. It was
destroyed there by a Russian Lancet drone, and
the video was released on Wednesday, March
20. It is unknown whether it was an airworthy
aircraft or a decoy. Albatros was covered by
a protective netting at the base, suggesting
it could have been an operational aircraft.
However, such netting increases the realism of
a decoy.
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May 2024