Russian Pilot Reacts to Mi-8 Helicopter Being Struck: 'I Got Hit'

Ukraine claims that is has intercepted a transmission from a Russian pilot in an Mi-8 helicopter after it was hit by a Magura V5 naval drone and R-73 SeeDragon missiles on Tuesday.

Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for comment via email.

A Ukrainian officer speaks on the radio on December 25, 2024. Kyiv recently intercepted a Russian radio transmission of a helicopter pilot detailing what happened after his aircraft was struck by drones. Evgeniy Maloletka/Associated Press

Why It Matters

Ukraine's interception of Russian radio transmissions is a sign that Kyiv has gained access to communications from Moscow and will be able to change fighting tactics.

What To Know

In the radio intercept released by Ukrainian intelligence, the GUR, the Russian pilot said that "There was a clap—they hit me. There was a water launch. After that, there was another flash.

"I didn't see where it went, but the first one went straight to me and exploded somewhere nearby—I felt from the helicopter that some systems had failed."

The pilot also described the fire damage to the side of the helicopter. The GUR's press service released a video of another Russian Mi-8 helicopter being downed by Ukrainian unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) during the attack near Cape Tarkhankut in Moscow-occupied Crimea.

Utilized for the first time to strike an aerial target, the Magura V5 naval drone is a USV developed by the GUR that is used for missions including reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and precision strikes.

The drone, with a top speed of 78 kilometers per hour (48 mph) an operational range of up to 800 kilometers (497 miles), and 200-kilogram (440-pound) explosive payload, has often been used to strike Russian assets in Crimea.

The R-73 SeeDragon missiles used to take down the Russian Mi-8 helicopters after being fired from the Magura V5 naval drone were initially produced as short-range air-to-air missiles, but have since been revamped to hit aerial targets.

Since annexing Crimea in 2014, Russia has had longstanding struggles retaining the seized territory, as Ukrainian strikes in the region have increased since the war began in 2022.

After a series of victories for Kyiv in the peninsula last year, Ukraine has continued this momentum in conducting air and sea attacks throughout 2024, destroying millions of dollars-worth of Russian assets.

What People Are Saying

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Igor Sushko, a Ukrainian writer living in the U.S., wrote: "BREAKING: Ukraine's GUR military intelligence made history on December 31 2024—Russian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by a modified air-to-air R-73 IR missile codenamed SeeDragon launched from a Magura sea drone in the Black Sea near Cape Tarkhankut in occupied Crimea."

What Happens Next

It will be crucial to see if Ukraine continues to successfully intercept Russian radio communications and how they will inform Kyiv's fighting strategy as the country approaches its fourth calendar year of war with Moscow.