Russia’s drone attack: Ukraine defends itself with machine guns on helicopters

New anti-aircraft defense
Ukrainians go drone hunting with helicopters and machine guns

August 25, 2024, 7:41 pm

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Russia has repeatedly relied on Shahad drones for its attacks. Ukraine defends itself in various ways. Defenders of their country shoot down flying objects with machine guns from helicopters.

The threat of Russian drones and cruise missiles is part of the everyday war in Ukraine. The defenders use a very different type of anti-aircraft defense against the flying materials sent to war by Moscow.

Apart from rocket-based systems or anti-aircraft gun tanks such as the German-supplied Gepard, the Ukrainians have repeatedly resorted to unconventional means. Several videos now show how the crew of a Ukrainian helicopter, armed with a machine gun, hunts drones. According to one, this is the case “Forbes”– Report on the Mi-8 transport helicopter.

In one video, a Ukrainian soldier can be seen firing a machine gun from the cockpit of a helicopter at an Iranian-made Shahed drone flying under an Mi-8. The gunner is located between the pilot and co-pilot of the helicopter and fires through an opening in the nose, in front of the flying object. Empty cartridge cases fall into the cockpit, where gun smoke spreads.

A propeller engine is in use against an unmanned aircraft

Another video shows a soldier firing his machine gun from the helicopter’s open side door. It is unclear whether this is the same move.

In the past, Ukrainian defenders resorted to completely different variations. Among others, the Jak-52 trainer aircraft has already been converted into a drone fighter. Twin-engine propeller aircraft have so far been primarily used in the south of the country. The aircraft does not have its own internal gun. Instead, a gunner sits on the back of the machine and fires a machine gun at the drones from there.

In addition to helicopters and propeller planes, Ukraine relies on its own drones, which attack and crash Russian drones. All methods are much cheaper than using anti-aircraft missiles, which are very rare.