2 Russian helicopters struck in Russia's Voronezh Oblast, Ukraine's elite drone unit says

Prefer on Google by Asami Terajima A screenshot from a video posted by Ukraine's 414th Separate Unmanned Strike Aviation Systems Brigade, which appears to show a Russian helicopter being hit by a Ukrainian drone on April 29, 2026. (Ukraine's 414th Separate Unmanned Strike Aviation Systems Brigade/X) Ukrainian drones struck two Russian helicopters in Russia's Voronezh Oblast, more than 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the front line, Ukraine's 414th Separate Unmanned Strike Aviation Systems Brigade reported on April 28. Four Russian helicopters were conducting rapid refueling and technical checks when the long-range Ukrainian drone attack hit two of them: a Soviet-designed Mi-28 and a Mi-17, according to the 414th Brigade, better known as Magyar's Birds. The unit said the strikes, carried out by drone pilots from several units, including the 429th Achilles Brigade, hit the rear central part of the engine compartment, killing at least one helicopter maintenance specialist. "To be continued…" Magyar's Birds wrote in its X post. The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on Magyar's Birds' statement by the publication time. The unit's statement comes as Ukraine has ramped up its long-range strikes on Russian military facilities and infrastructure supporting the Russian army in recent weeks, both in occupied territories and inside Russia. Previously, Ukrainian drone operators destroyed a Russian Ka-52 "Alligator" attack helicopter using an FPV (first-person view) drone in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces said on March 20. The General Staff reported that as of April 29, Russia has lost 350 helicopters since the start of the full-scale war in 2022.