{"id":26151,"date":"2023-10-23T15:49:41","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T15:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/berkshiredoulas.com\/?p=26151"},"modified":"2023-10-23T15:49:41","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T15:49:41","slug":"massive-blow-for-putin-as-nine-russian-elite-helicopters-destroyed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/berkshiredoulas.com\/world-news\/massive-blow-for-putin-as-nine-russian-elite-helicopters-destroyed\/","title":{"rendered":"Massive blow for Putin as nine Russian elite helicopters destroyed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ukraine: Russian armoured vehicle destroyed by drone<\/h3>\n

Russian forces lost nine helicopters after a Ukrainian\u00a0strike on key bases as the war between the two countries continues.<\/p>\n

Kyiv strikes also damaged an additional 15 Russian helicopters during strikes on Berdiansk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Posting on X, the Kyiv Post reported: “During attacks on airfields in the occupied cities of Berdyansk and Luhansk, nine helicopters were destroyed \u2014 seven Ka52 and two Mi8 helicopters. Another eight Ka-52s and seven Mi-8s were damaged, as reported by the OSINT project Oryx.”<\/p>\n

This was Ukraine’s first attack on Russian forces using American-supplied M39 missiles.<\/p>\n

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According to an analysis of commercial satellite imagery by GeoConfirmed, an open-source intelligence practitioner, the strike may have left as many as 21 helicopters out of action.<\/p>\n

They added: \u201cThis is probably the biggest blow to the Russian air force since the beginning of the war.”<\/p>\n

Ukrainian analysis team Frontelligence Insight also said: \u201cWhile their number slightly exceeds our team’s public estimate, it’s important to note that their estimate is based on solid grounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

When establishing whether a helicopter has been destroyed or damaged, analysts look for satellite imagery showing evidence of scorch marks at a helicopter’s location.<\/p>\n

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The analysts also corroborate this by studying Russian military social media channels to look for evidence that Moscow’s troops have hauled away damaged helicopters.<\/p>\n

It is for this reason that Frontelligence Insight has cast doubt over some of the claims made by Ukrainian forces.<\/p>\n

They said: \u201cThe challenge arises from the limitations of commercially available imagery, which do not provide the resolution needed to detect hundreds of small scorch marks around helicopters in Berdyansk.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the case of Luhansk airport, it’s much easier since you can clearly see it from our higher-resolution imagery.\u201d<\/p>\n

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