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Ukraine’s Deep-Strike Drone Downs Russian Mi-8 Helicopter 190km From Front Line, Video
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Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) have claimed responsibility for the destruction of a Russian Mi-8 helicopter using a long-range strike drone, marking what appears to be a first-of-its-kind mission. The announcement was made via the official Telegram channel of the SSO on November 22.
According to the statement, the Mi-8 was targeted and shot down mid-air by a deep-strike drone operated by Ukrainian special forces.
💥 For the first time, a UAV operated by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces has shot down a Russian Mi-8 helicopter in Russia's Rostov region.
— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) November 22, 2025
“This mission left the enemy with many questions—answers only the Mi-8 crew knew, and they won’t be telling,” the special forces wrote. pic.twitter.com/vzi5eKmsDA
The drone used in the operation was identified as the FP-1, a long-range unmanned aerial system developed by the Ukrainian company Fire Point. The FP-1 has previously been credited with successful precision strikes deep inside Russian territory.
Video footage released by the SSO shows the downing of the Mi-8 helicopter in what has been geolocated to the Kuteinykove area in Russia’s Rostov region, approximately 190 kilometers from the front line.
While exact technical details of the operation remain classified, the SSO emphasized the mission’s complexity, involving both advanced drone capabilities and high-level operational planning.
“This mission left the enemy with far more questions than answers,” the SSO stated, adding that only the downed crew could explain what happened—“and they won’t be speaking.”
The Mi-8 is a Soviet-designed twin-turbine utility helicopter that has been in service since the 1960s and remains one of the most widely used military helicopters in the world. Known by NATO as the “Hip”, the Mi-8 serves as a versatile platform capable of performing a wide range of roles, including troop transport, cargo delivery, medevac, electronic warfare, and armed assault.
Earlier footage released by Commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi appeared to show the destruction of a Russian Mi-28 attack helicopter near Kotliarivka, Donetsk region. However, updated analysis confirms the aircraft was in fact a Mi-8 transport helicopter, struck by a $500 FPV drone operated by Ukraine’s 59th Separate Assault Brigade.
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