Ukrainian troops shut down a Russian Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter near Pokrovsk city in eastern Donetsk region, Serhii Sternenko, an advisor to Ukraine’s Defense Minister said on March 20.
The helicopter worth around 16 million USD was targeted by fighters from the 1st Unmanned Systems Battalion ‘High-Altitude Predators’ of the 59th Separate Assault Brigade. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy awarded the Order of Courage, to servicemen who destroyed the Ka-52 helicopter. "Today, on the Pokrovsk axis, operators of the 59th Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces calmly and professionally did their job. The 'Predators of Heights' crew struck a Russian Ka-52 with an FPV drone. A machine worth millions was destroyed by a precise FPV drone strike," Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa announced on Telegram app.
The crew of a Russian Ka-52 helicopter managed to eject after their aircraft was struck by a first-person-view, FPV, drone. After landing, they reportedly sought shelter in a trench near destroyed armored vehicles. However, a subsequent drone surveillance mission later indicated that the pilots had not survived.
Engineered by Russia’s Kamov Design Bureau, the Ka-52 is a two-seat military helicopter built to carry out reconnaissance, coordination, and attack operations against targets on the ground as well as in the air.
It can function around the clock and in difficult weather conditions, with a top speed of about 300 km/h. Driven by two VK-2500 gas-turbine engines, it typically cruises at close to 260 km/h and has an effective operating range of approximately 500 kilometers.
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