Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) destroyed a Russian aerial target with the Ukrainian-made Magura V5 naval strike drone for the first time, HUR reported on Dec. 31.
During a battle in the Black Sea off the Western tip of occupied Crimea, the special unit Group 13 launched SeeDragon missiles from the Magura drone. The unit downed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter and hit another helicopter, although the latter was able to fly back to the airbase.
A video from the battle shows the moment the missiles locked onto the helicopter before it exploded and crashed into the sea.
The Magura drone has helped Ukraine push back against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet by striking dozens of ships this year. They have been in operation since the summer of 2023.
It can cover a distance of more than 800 kilometers (500 miles), reach a speed of 80 km/h (50 mph), and is capable of carrying a 250-kilogram warhead. Each one is 5.5 meters long and costs approximately 10 million hryvnias ($240,000).
In June, HUR announced that the drones had been modified to operate anti-aircraft missiles, presenting a serious threat to the Russian air force over the Black Sea.
Ukraine previously destroyed several notable Russian ships with Magura drones, including a landing ship Caesar Kunikov, a Sergei Kotov patrol ship, high-speed Serna and Akula landing crafts, and a Tarantul-class Ivanovets missile corvette.
Olena Goncharova
