Team News Riveting
Kyiv, July 18
In the on-going war against Ukraine, Russia has now lost 100 helicopters since its full-scale invasion started in February 2022.
The damage includes 10 over the course of Kyiv’s summer offensive, according to data collected by an independent intelligence and monitoring organization. In its most recent website update, Oryx reports that the Russian military has now had 100 helicopters neutralized since February 2022 including 87 destroyed, 12 damaged and one captured by Ukrainian forces.
Ten Russian helicopters have been downed since the beginning of June when Ukraine ramped up counteroffensive activity on several sections of the 1,000-kilometer-long front.
Among Russia’s losses are 38 Ka-52 Kamaz “Alligator” helicopters which are considered by some military experts as “one of the best attack helicopters in the world.” This represents a loss approaching 40 percent of all Ka-52s that Russia allocated to its war on Ukraine.
The loss of 100 helicopters is significant due to the increased importance of air power at this phase of the war. Namely, as Ukrainian forces attempt to advance on the ground into occupied eastern and southern Ukraine, the Kremlin is seeking to use what remains of its superior air power as a critical advantage in its defensive strategy.
It includes increased helicopter attacks against oncoming Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicles, including those provided by Western allies, and troop concentrations, as well as the ability to rapidly bring up reserve troops and supplies from rear echelon positions in occupied southern Ukraine in particular.
