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A Tiny Drone From a Sea Robot Just Took Down a Russian Ka-27 Helicopter—A First in Warfare
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A Russian Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopter was destroyed by an FPV drone launched from a naval drone platform—an unprecedented method of attack, according to Ukrainian Navy footage and analysis by Defense Express on March 5.
The incident reportedly took place near the offshore drilling platform known as Syvash in the Black Sea.
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According to the report, the Ukrainian Navy carried out the strike using a first-person-view drone deployed from a naval drone, successfully hitting a Russian Ka-27 helicopter that was attempting to land on the platform.
Video released by the Ukrainian Navy first shows a naval suicide drone striking the structural supports of the Syvash platform.
Russian forces have reportedly been trying to use the offshore installation as a staging point for electronic warfare systems, air defense equipment, and communications gear.
Moments later, the footage shows the drone attack on the Ka-27 helicopter itself as it approaches the platform.
Defense analysts cited by Defense Express noted several unusual characteristics of the attacking drone. The aircraft appears to exceed roughly 115 km/h and performs sharp pitch maneuvers that are not typical of quadcopter-style FPV drones.
This suggests the drone may have been a fixed-wing FPV system, rather than a standard multirotor drone.
The strike resulted in the helicopter being destroyed and completely burned out. The fate of the crew remains unknown.
The attack may also have created a secondary operational impact: damaging the platform’s landing infrastructure. If confirmed, this would make helicopter landings there significantly more difficult for Russian forces.
The exact launch location of the drone that destroyed the Ka-27 was not shown in the footage. One theoretical possibility is that the drone was launched from shore and flew roughly 100 kilometers to reach the target area at the right moment.
However, Defense Express suggests a more plausible scenario: the drone was launched directly from a naval drone operating nearby, which may have also served as a communications relay and recorded the strike.
Earlier, a Russian Mi-8 military helicopter was accidentally shot down by its own air defenses in the Rostov region during a large-scale drone attack.
-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
-fb6b2ea4498b488d040ea8f7bf9444f3.jpg "A portrait of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appears next to a Russian flag before a news conference at the Vahdat Hall in downtown Tehran, Iran, on June 10, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)")