Military first as ‘sea dragon’ drone shoots down Russian helicopter with adapted air-to-air missile
A Russian military helicopter was blown out of the sky off the coast of occupied Crimea by a Ukrainian sea drone Tuesday in a historic first for modern warfare.
Ukrainian forces took down the £12 million ($24m) Mi-8 over the Black Sea after adapting an unmanned Magura V5 sea craft to fire air-to-air missiles.
It is the first time a sea drone has downed an aircraft.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Footage of the strike showed the Mi-8 desperately spraying out flares as the missile, an R-73 ‘Sea Dragon’, zeroes in and explodes, sending it plummeting into the sea.
“On December 31, 2024, soldiers of the GUR special unit Group 13 of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine for the first time in history hit an air target using a Magura V5 sea drone equipped with missile weapons,” Kyiv’s military intelligence said in a statement.
“During a battle in the Black Sea near Cape Tarkhankut of temporarily occupied Crimea, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed by the use of R-73 ‘Sea Dragon’ missiles,” the statement said.
“Another similar enemy helicopter was hit by fire and was able to reach the base airfield.”
Magura V5s are typically packed with up to 440lb of explosives.
At 5.5 metres long with a top speed of 80km/h they have a range of up to 800km and cost around £218,0000 ($4.5m).
The R-73 is an infrared air-to-air missile with a 7km warhead which Ukraine has adapted for use on marine drones, giving it the name ‘Sea Dragon’.
Russia did not immediately confirm the loss of a military helicopter.
