The HIMARS rocket system destroyed four Russian helicopters in the Belgorod region.

A video of their destruction was published on the official account of the Special Operations Forces on Telegram.

Four helicopters – two Ka-52s and two Mi-8s – were destroyed while parked at a field airfield, where they were being serviced, rearmed, and refueled.

The Special Operations Forces successfully identified this parking area, after which, in coordination with the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the target coordinates were passed to the HIMARS rocket system crew.

To target Russian aircraft, M30A2 rockets were launched from the HIMARS rocket system. These rockets are equipped with 180,000 small submunitions in the form of small tungsten balls surrounding the central explosive charge.

This number of elements, as well as the 23 kg explosive charge itself, upon impact, in addition to directly destroying the equipment, damages everything at a distance of up to 70 meters, making it an ideal means of destroying concentrations of troops or equipment.

It should be noted that the published video clearly shows tire tracks in the field, indicating that either the helicopters had already been refueled and armed or the enemy is using this field airfield on a permanent basis.

The Ka-52 attack helicopters are currently actively involved in combat operations against the Defense Forces, and a certain number of these helicopters are equipped with modern LMUR helicopter-launched air-to-surface missiles, which are guided via a thermal imaging camera.

The flight range of this missile is approximately 15 km, making the helicopter a difficult target for Ukraine’s air defense systems. Therefore, destroying Ka-52 helicopters on the ground is one of the key parts of reducing their activity.

According to the Oryx project, as of today, the Russian army has lost 63 Ka-52 helicopters and 46 Mi-8 helicopters of various modifications, which is a significant loss for Russia’s military aviation.

Militarnyi previously reported that in December 2024, the Russian Aerospace Forces lost a Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter with its crew.

The Russians, in their typical manner, immediately claimed friendly fire from their own air defense.