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operate well behind the front line. There are
so many silhouettes that on some helicopters
space ran out and further “victories” are
recorded only with simple tally marks.
Helicopters have several advantages in the
fight against drones. They have enough speed
to catch their target, but are not so fast as
jet fighters, which risk colliding with drones.
Light aircraft risk damage from detonations
and drone debris when firing at Shaheds.
Helicopters fly parallel to drones at similar
speeds and usually a bit higher. They therefore
operate from a position slightly behind and
above the drone. If a Shahed explodes, the
helicopter is in a space that is least exposed
to its debris.
The Mi-24 has the advantage of a movable
rotating 12.7 mm machine gun in the nose and
target-searching and aiming equipment. Some
versions carry a twin-barrel 30 mm cannon,
with which they can engage Shaheds from
greater distance.
Mi-8 helicopters have also proved effective
against drones. They carry Soviet PKT or
PKM machine guns of 7.62 mm in the nose or
side windows. Ukraine began to upgrade its
Mi-8s for counter-drone missions by installing
American M134 Miniguns. These are also 7.62
mm but are rotary guns with a rate of fire of
3,000–6,000 rounds per minute, whereas the
PK has only 500–800 rounds per minute. The
Minigun therefore needs a shorter burst to
shoot down a drone. Mi-8s also began receiving
an optical station with day and night cameras
mounted ahead of the front landing gear, and a
searchlight to illuminate targets at night was
added to their equipment.
A photograph also appeared of a light
transport plane, the Antonov An-28, with
a similar tally painted on its fuselage. This is
a twin-engine turboprop which Ukrainians
modified to a gunship. Most likely it too uses
7.62 mm machine guns in side windows or
doors. However, a video has also surfaced
implying the An-28 is firing a weapon mounted
at the front; that cannot be confirmed because
the published photograph does not show the
aircraft’s nose.
At the same time, jokes began to spread
comparing the Dutch F-35 fighter with
a single kill marking to these helicopters or the
An-28 with dozens of kills. Humor helps people
to cope with stressful situations, but this
comparison is not appropriate. If the F-35 had
to face hundreds of drones every night, it too
would rack up a large score.
Massive Air Raids
Unfortunately, this is the grim reality
in Ukraine. It became clear on the night
This Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter has a large number of Russian drones to its credit as well.
The Ukrainians also showcased a transport aircraft An-28, which they use
as a gunship against drones.
The score is rising also for ground-based air defense systems. Unfortunately, this is due to the increasing intensity of Russian attacks.
UKRAINE
INFO Eduard
43
November 2025