The pilot of "Samara" said that his helicopter squadron destroyed 5 targets in just a few minutes while participating in blocking a Ukrainian armored column in Zaporizhzhia.
On August 14, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency published an interview with a pilot nicknamed "Samara", commander of an armed helicopter squadron that participated in stopping a large-scale attack by the Ukrainian army in the Orekhov direction of Zaporizhzhia province a few days earlier.
"We had just finished our night shift and were planning to return to the barracks to rest, but we received orders from the high command. Intelligence showed that the Ukrainian army was launching an attack with tanks and armored vehicles aimed at the village of Rabotino in the direction of Orekhov. Everyone was put on combat alert," Samara recounted.
Samara pilot next to Ka-52 helicopter in an interview published on August 14. Photo: RIA Novosti
The Russian helicopter squadron quickly took off, followed the predetermined landmarks to the assembly area and waited for the attack order. The Ka-52 of Samara was equipped with 6 Vikhr anti-tank guided missiles with a maximum range of 10-12 km and a speed of 1.8 times the speed of sound. This is the main weapon of the Ka-52 series, used thoroughly to deal with armored vehicles in Ukraine's inventory.
As soon as the Ukrainian formation was detected moving south, Russian forces compiled coordinates and zoned each helicopter squadron for raids.
"We received the information and began destroying the target, launching a total of five missiles within 10 minutes. The shells destroyed five targets, including a Leopard main battle tank, two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, a MaxxPro mine-resistant vehicle and a Kirpi armored vehicle," Samara recalled.
The Russian pilots said each formation had three different helicopters. The main force was the Ka-52, equipped with modern sensors and long-range missiles, specialized in attacking Ukrainian motorized convoys. An Mi-28 armed helicopter would provide cover while the Ka-52 guided the missiles, while a Mi-8 utility helicopter hovered nearby to rescue the pilots if they were shot down or had to make an emergency landing.
Ukraine has not commented on this information.
On the front lines, Ukraine lacks a robust air defense network, and the Russian air force is exploiting this weakness. Lacking large air defense systems to provide full coverage of the sky, Ukrainian soldiers have had to rely on short-range shoulder-fired missiles, which require the gunner to see the target before firing.
Justin Bronk, an expert at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in the UK, said that Russian helicopters carrying guided anti-tank missiles have been very effective in hindering Ukraine's counter-offensive campaign.
Location of Rabotino village. Graphics: RYV
Russian helicopters often fly at very low altitudes, taking advantage of terrain and cover, and operate strongly at night to limit the danger from short-range air defense systems and shoulder-fired missiles. The ability to attack moving ground targets with guided weapons in complex weather conditions is a significant advantage of the Ka-52 over fixed-wing attack aircraft such as the Su-25.
The threat from Russian attack helicopters puts Ukrainian forces in a difficult position. Without advanced air defense systems deployed on the front lines, their tanks and armored vehicles will be vulnerable to Russian helicopters. But if they move their advanced air defense systems closer to the front lines, they risk being targeted by the suicide drones that Russia is using.
Vu Anh (According to RIA Novosti, Reuters )
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