AFU for the first time destroyed a Russian helicopter with a fiber-optic drone
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the destruction of a Russian Ka-52 "Alligator" attack helicopter in the Donetsk region. Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces Robert Brovdi ("Madyar") clarified that the helicopter was destroyed with the help of a fiber-optic drone. This is the first such case during the Russian-Ukrainian war, writes the BBC Ukrainian Service.
Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter in the lens of a Ukrainian fiber-optic FPV drone camera. Photo: AFU Unmanned Systems Forces
The command of the Unmanned Systems Forces also published a video of the shootdown. The footage shows two Russian helicopters flying low over the ground past a Ukrainian FPV drone. The operator manages to attack one of them head-on. The hit struck the missile ammunition under the left wing, which immediately caught fire. Losing control, the Ka-52 fell to the ground.
The damaged Ka-52 falls to the ground in the Pokrovsk direction. Its pilot and navigator survived but were subsequently eliminated by Ukrainian FPV drones. Photo: AFU Unmanned Systems Forces
"As a result of the emergency landing, the helicopter crew attempted to escape but were promptly detected and eliminated by pilots from the 414th Brigade "Madyar's Birds"," the General Staff's report states.
The FPV drone was controlled by operators from the "Predators of the Heights" battalion of the 59th Separate Assault Brigade of Unmanned Systems. This is the second destruction of a Russian helicopter for this unit. In September 2025, they managed to "hunt down" a Mi-8 transport-combat helicopter in the Pokrovsk direction with a conventional FPV drone.
On the evening of March 20, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree awarding four drone crew members who shot down the Ka-52. They were awarded the Orders "For Courage" of the II degree.
What kind of helicopter is it
The Ka-52 (Hokum B according to NATO classification, also known as "Alligator") is a Russian reconnaissance and attack helicopter costing approximately 16 million dollars. The Russian army has been actively using it since the beginning of the war to shell Ukrainian positions and equipment.
Its armament includes a rapid-fire cannon mount and the "Vikhr" anti-tank missile system (ATGM) with a laser guidance system. The Ka-52 can additionally carry R-73 and "Igla-V" close-range air-to-air guided missiles, as well as unguided air-to-ground missiles. The helicopter is equipped with its own radar system and has an armored, ejectable crew capsule. This helicopter has been produced in Russia since 2008.
How it was destroyed
The helicopter shot down on March 20 became the 350th that Russia has lost in Ukraine since the start of the war, according to AFU General Staff statistics. However, most of them were shot down by missile armament, as well as MANPADS (portable anti-aircraft missile systems).
For the first time, a Russian helicopter was shot down with a conventional radio-controlled FPV drone in August 2024. This was a Mi-8 near Donetsk. In September 2025, a Mi-8 helicopter was shot down near the village of Kotliarivka (Donetsk region) with an FPV quadcopter. In November 2025, Ukrainians managed to hit another Mi-8 in the sky over Rostov region with a deep-strike drone.
In early March, the Naval Forces of Ukraine conducted an operation to destroy a Russian Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopter that was landing on the "Syvash" drilling platform in the Black Sea. A Ukrainian unmanned surface vessel (USV), likely delivered a strike FPV drone almost 100 km from the shore, which attacked the helicopter in flight.
The Ka-52 "Alligator" is the main attack helicopter of the Russian army. However, according to analysts' estimates, it has lost almost 100 such machines during combat operations over 4 years. Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Fiber-optic FPV drones appeared on the front in the second half of 2024. Russians began to use them en masse for attacks on Ukrainian vehicles, armored vehicles, and personnel. Because fiber-optic drones are invulnerable to EW systems, they are difficult to counter.
However, they also have drawbacks. Fiber optics are delicate and brittle, and also have a limited range. Controlling such a drone requires operator skill, as the drone's maneuverability is limited. In 2025, Ukraine began to increase the production of its fiber-optic systems and by the end of the year was able to launch several products into serial production.
The drone that destroyed the Russian Ka-52 helicopter costs about 1,000 dollars. It flies at a speed of about 110 km/h for a distance of up to 20 km at an altitude of up to 1 km.