Russia likely downed its own military helicopter

Russian forces likely shot down one of their own military helicopters in the Rostov region during a Ukrainian drone attack late on March 3, according to reports cited by the Militarnyi.

The incident reportedly occurred near the town of Millerovo, where Russian air defenses were responding to a large wave of unmanned aerial vehicles. Crew members were reported killed, although the exact number has not been disclosed.

The incident occurred during what local officials described as a large drone attack targeting areas in southern Russia. According to regional authorities, Russian air defense systems were actively intercepting aerial targets over the Rostov region at the time, creating conditions in which friendly aircraft could have been misidentified as hostile targets.

Militarnyi reported that Russian forces likely deployed helicopters to intercept incoming Ukrainian drones during the overnight attack. During those operations, one of the aircraft was reportedly destroyed by friendly fire. The exact model of the helicopter has not been officially confirmed.

Several sources indicated that the aircraft may have been a Ka-52 “Hockum” attack helicopter, one of Russia’s primary armed rotorcraft used for strike and reconnaissance missions. However, the type of helicopter involved in the incident remains unconfirmed as of the morning of March 4.

Russian officials have not publicly acknowledged the loss of the helicopter. As of Wednesday morning, no official statement had been issued by the Russian Ministry of Defense regarding the incident.

Earlier in the day, Rostov region governor Yury Slyusar reported that “dozens of UAVs” had attacked the region during the evening and overnight hours. In a public statement, the governor said Russian air defenses had repelled the attacks in the Millerovsky and Tarasovsky districts.

The governor did not mention the loss of any Russian aircraft during the defensive operations. His statement focused on the interception of drones and the broader air defense response.

Images circulated on Russian social media platforms that were described as showing the alleged crash site of the helicopter near Millerovo. The authenticity of those images has not been independently verified.

According to reports referenced by Militarnyi, Russian pro-government sources suggested the helicopter may have been shot down by Russian air defense systems that mistakenly identified it as a Ukrainian drone. These claims have not been confirmed by Russian authorities.