The Ukrainian National Guard kills two Russian military helicopters in an attack drone operation in the Oryol region of the Russian Federation — Mil Mi-8 1 unit Kamov Ka-52 Alligator 1 — claimed to have been destroyed.
The information was released through the Telegram channel “Spy Dossier” (@dosye_shpiona), and Ukrainian media outlet Militarnyi reported it. The attack reportedly took place on the night of Friday, February 20, 2026.
Pugachevka airfield may have been the target.
According to the released information, the helicopters were parked at the Pugachevka airfield near the village of Pugachivka, Oryol region. The location was known to be a small unpaved runway owned by the Oryol Flight Club, affiliated with Russia’s DOSAAF (Volunteer Association for Cooperation of the Army, Navy, and Air Force).
There is a possibility that this facility may have been used as an operating base for a complex helicopter detachment to intercept long-range Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
According to publicly available data:
The Mi-8 helicopter (tail number 53) is said to belong to the 319th Separate Helicopter Regiment stationed in Chernigovka, Primorsky Krai, Far East, Russia.
The Ka-52 Oligator attack helicopter (tail number 18) is reportedly assigned to the 16th Army Aviation Brigade, headquartered in Zernograd, Rostov Region.
To date, the Russian Ministry of Defense has not provided official confirmation of the claim of destruction of the aircraft.
operational impact
The Mi-8 is widely used for troop transport, medical evacuation, and logistics missions, while the Ka-52 is the main attack helicopter of the Russian Army Aviation and is used for close air support and anti-armor missions.
If confirmed to be true, the simultaneous destruction of these platforms within Russian territory is expected to be another example of the expanding scope of Ukrainian drone operations. Recently, Ukraine has been striking military assets and air force bases behind the front lines one after another.
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Sources and images: Militarnyi | Telegram @dosye_shpiona | Wikimedia. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
