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How One Israeli Special Forces Veteran Helped Ukraine Wipe Out 49 Russian Helicopters in 2022
In the first weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, an Israeli special forces veteran played a little-known role in Ukraine’s defense. From guiding early artillery strikes to organizing underground resistance in occupied Kherson, his actions left a lasting mark on the course of the war.
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
A 52-year-old former Israeli special forces soldier, Eyal Israeli, played a key role in one of Ukraine’s most significant battlefield operations during the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to The Jerusalem Post on September 11.
Israeli reportedly helped direct Ukrainian artillery strikes on March 7, 2022, that destroyed 49 Russian helicopters stationed at the Chornobaivka airfield near Kherson.
The Jerusalem Post reports that Israeli, who is married to a Ukrainian and had lived in Kherson for 16 years before the invasion, offered his expertise to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) after Russian forces occupied the city.
In the 1990s, he served in an Israeli counterterrorism unit and took part in operations in Gaza. He later formed a reconnaissance and sabotage group in Kherson under the auspices of the SBU.
Asked about his past, Israeli told the outlet: “Have you seen the TV series Fauda? Well, that’s what I did in Israel.”
The Chornobaivka strikes
According to The Jerusalem Post, Ukrainian documents confirm Israeli’s role in reconnaissance of Russian equipment at the Chornobaivka airfield.
On March 7, 2022, his intelligence was relayed to the SBU, which passed the data to Ukrainian artillery units. The subsequent strikes destroyed nearly 50 helicopters, other equipment, and personnel.
A former SBU officer who supervised him told the outlet: “The loss of these 49 helicopters, of course, significantly weakened the offensive potential of the Russians.”
Based on the estimated unit cost of $20 million per helicopter, losses from the strike are valued at close to $1 billion.
The Chornobayivka strikes in March 2022 are widely seen as a turning point in southern Ukraine. The loss of aviation assets forced Russia to halt its advance toward Mykolaiv and Odesa, securing Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea.
Wider role in Ukraine
Beyond Chornobaivka, The Jerusalem Post notes that Israeli’s group carried out activities ranging from removing Russian propaganda billboards and distributing pro-Ukrainian leaflets to supplying food to the families of Ukrainian officers.
His knowledge of Persian reportedly enabled him to identify Iranian military advisers and drone test sites in the region, which were later targeted by Ukrainian forces.
He also provided intelligence on Russian command posts and troop movements, often more than Ukrainian forces could act upon due to limited ammunition.
In the final days before Russia’s retreat from Kherson in November 2022, Israeli personally destroyed several vehicles carrying Russian officers, according to the SBU report cited by the outlet.
In May 2025, he joined the Ukrainian Marine Corps and now serves in a reconnaissance unit. He told the outlet: “I make and launch reconnaissance drones with Stars of David on their wings, under fire on the front line – the Russians see this and go crazy, unable to understand what it is and where it is flying at them from.”
He also developed a high-capacity battery that extended the flight time of Ukrainian drones from one hour to more than three.
The Jerusalem Post emphasized that the outcome was shaped in part by the actions of one foreign volunteer with specialized military training, who continues to fight on Ukraine’s front lines today.
Israeli has reportedly not received Ukrainian citizenship. The Jerusalem Post reports that in 2024, a Kherson lawmaker formally appealed to the government to recognize him, but the process stalled.
Earlier, Ukrainian military officials said that recruits from 72 countries are now serving in the Armed Forces, with nearly 40% coming from South America. According to officer Kostiantyn Milevskyi, foreign enlistment has grown from about 150 volunteers a month in 2022 to roughly 600 today, supported by a government-run Foreign Recruitment Center.
