The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has released a dramatic video showing Hind helicopters engaging Russian ground targets while avoiding counterfire.
The footage, shared on the ministry’s X account, captures two Mil Mi-34 helicopters flying at low altitude before deploying missiles at Russian positions.
In the video, the helicopters can be seen deploying countermeasures, creating a smoke-filled sky to evade enemy fire.
After the successful attack, the helicopters are shown flying away from the area.
The Ukrainian whirlybirds are bringing the heat
📹: 47th Mechanized Brigade pic.twitter.com/gSTpNKmuNp
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 10, 2024
The Mil Mi-34 helicopters, part of the 47th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, are utilised as gunships, attack helicopters, and low-capacity troop transports. Their ability to fly low helps them avoid anti-air weaponry such as surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, which are employed by the Russian Army in Ukraine.
“Don’t work for recognition, but do work worthy of recognition.”
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.The combat losses of the enemy from February 24, 2022 to June 11, 2024. pic.twitter.com/mx8tvS3ZIs
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 11, 2024
Pretty patterns from the countermeasures but I don’t spot any ground attack effects. I personally think it’s a staged video although willing to be proved wrong by someone with better eyesight.
I mean it looks like they are pitching the nose up just before firing and effectively lobbing unguided rockets in the general direction of Russian Forces.
I’m presuming they are unguided. If they are, the effect on target is likely to be close to zero, barring blind luck.
Unless the fire control system in the hinds can calculate trajectory based on release altitude, speed, bearing and angle of launch… Who knows.
Not up on the effectiveness of unguided rockets but do know that Ukraine isrunnng low and has been trying to get more supplies from its allies so I guess they must have some effect. Equally wouldn’t risk dangerous escapades with helicopters if they didn’t feel they were effective. Equally western forces use them in large numbers Canada supplied a load of course even if they were beyond their sell by date. If Typhoons in the war could hit targets with crude versions under a lot of flak I can’t see why copters can’t do the same or better with rather… Read more »
So always dangerous using WWII analogues, I always want to remind people that Typhoon’s weren’t as effective as Typhoon pilots claimed they where (post battle damage reports revealed that). Western Unguided Rocket attacks, either from Helicopters or slow flying attack aircraft typically rely on line of sight (put crosshairs on target, fire a load of missiles, see them hit as you fly over). That’s not what the Ukranians are doing, they’re lobbing them in a parabolic arc which makes them much harder to aim (and they’re doing this because the detection and AA environemnt is much more deadly than in… Read more »
Yes, it’s an unguided attack, I’m guessing they’re being used on rather large targets like moving columns where using enfilading fire means that getting the precise angle of attack isn’t as critical (long target means that if you aim short or long you’ll still hit *something*)
I find it strange that, with the myriad of Western weapon systems that Ukraine has been calling out for, from tanks to F16 aircraft, Ukraine doesn’t seem to have been at all interested in asking for dedicated attack helicopters. I wonder if there might be significant stocks of older Western variants such as the Bell Cobra and its ilk?
That’s a good point Caspian237. I think the weapon most associate with the Cobra is the TOW, a weapon in ground launched version, that Ukraine already uses.
TOW is a SACLOS guided weapon. Which means the controller/operator must keep the target in sight throughout the engagement. For a helicopter when faced by a plethora of air defence systems and MANPADS. This makes it very risky for the helicopter to hover whilst engaging targets. The Ka-52 can get away with this as its Izdeliye 305E ATGM has a range of 14.5km. Which is beyond the max range of MANPDS.
Short answer: The prevalence of Air Defence systems and Russian Air superiority. Those Hinds are launching counter because even popping up for that long to fire their rockets is putting them at risk.
Plenty of footage of Hinds doing these low attack runs exist, always looking impressive. If it didn’t have some effect on target I doubt they’d still be doing it.