A Ukrainian FPV drone costing just £500 destroyed a Russian Mi-28N attack helicopter worth £14 million near Kotlyarivka in Donetsk Oblast on Monday, according to Ukraine’s 59th Separate Mechanised Brigade. The strike, carried out by the brigade’s Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS), targeted the helicopter during a reconnaissance mission, with no Ukrainian casualties reported.
The Mi-28N, equipped for night operations, was hit mid-flight by the small first-person-view drone carrying explosives. Footage released by the brigade shows the drone approaching over open fields, striking the helicopter’s tail rotor, and sending it spiralling to the ground in flames. The 30-second clip, recorded from the drone’s perspective, captures smoke rising from the wreckage.
“The fate of the Russian crew has not been confirmed.”
Commander Robert Brovdi, head of Ukraine’s SBS since June 2025, announced the strike on Telegram.
He said: “The result is the work of intelligence and our operators.
“Anyone who flies there ‘for a look around’ should be prepared.”
Mr Brovdi, a Ukrainian officer of Hungarian descent and founder of the “Birds of Madyar” drone unit, has overseen thousands of drone operations across the front lines.
Open-source intelligence account @astraiaintel noted that the drone intercepted the Mi-28N in under 30 seconds, precisely targeting the tail to disable manoeuvrability.
Another OSINT group, @GeoConfirmed, geolocated the crash site near Kotlyarivka (48.45°N, 37.55°E), with satellite imagery showing plumes of smoke, corroborating the brigade’s claim.
Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed the helicopter’s destruction in its daily report, alongside 12 other Russian vehicles lost in Donetsk.
The 59th Brigade’s press service added: “Our FPV team neutralised the Mi-28N during a low-altitude recon attempt. Glory to the defenders!”
This strike follows a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian aircraft, including a strike on Be-12 amphibious planes in Crimea on September 22 and an FPV strike on a Mi-28 in Kursk Oblast in August, which forced an emergency landing.
On August 2, drones targeted Crimea’s Saky airfield, damaging five Russian jets, according to Ukraine’s Security Service.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence has not commented on the latest loss, though state media reported “aviation activity” in Donetsk without acknowledging any downed aircraft.
The incident underscores the staggering cost imbalance between Ukraine’s inexpensive drones and Russia’s multimillion-pound aircraft.
Since 2022, Ukraine has downed more than 200 Russian aircraft, according to open-source trackers like Oryx, which is verifying the Kotlyarivka wreckage.
As the battle for Donetsk intensifies, Ukrainian drone operations will doubtless continue to challenge Russian air power.
