Russia announced the loss of its own Ka-29 multipurpose helicopter during the Ukrainian combined drone attack.

This was reported by a number of Russian bloggers associated with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

On the night of June 20-21, southern Russia, in particular, the Krasnodar Krai underwent a massive combined attack of surface drones and unmanned aerial vehicles.

To intercept naval drones in the Black Sea near Anapa, the Russian Federation scrambled helicopters. One of them was shot down while repelling the attack.

The incident reportedly killed all four crew members.

Aviation accident

According to preliminary estimates of the Russians, the shooting down of their own helicopter allegedly occurred due to the error of the operators of the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile system, who confused the helicopter with the Ukrainian drone.

Bloggers associated with the aerospace forces of the Russian Federation rebuke the Russian IFF system, which does not operate correctly in real combat conditions.

However, it is possible that in fact the loss of a Russian helicopter could have occurred under other conditions. In early May, Ukraine for the first time used naval drones with anti-aircraft missiles to combat Russian aircraft.

The drone, armed with air-to-air missiles, fired at the helicopter, but did not hit. Subsequently, Ka-29 destroyed it with airborne armament.

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine confirmed that one of the modifications of the Magura naval surface drone is equipped with R-73 air-to-air missiles.

According to the commander of the Group 13 special unit with the call sign “Trynadtsiatyi,” naval drones equipped with such missiles have already been used during combat operations on the Black Sea, and this has become a serious factor of fear and risk for Russian aviation.

“Such developments are effective and the Russians are very afraid of them. When they see them, even fly up are afraid. And the uniqueness is that no one has one. […] This weapon has already been installed, and it will give its results,” he said.