Russia is keeping its helicopters away from Ukraine's naval drones, a special forces commander says. They were becoming 'easy targets.'

• Russia is keeping helicopters away from Ukraine's naval drones, a commander said.
• He said they are "easy targets" for missile-armed drones.
• Ukraine has strengthened its naval drones with weapons like missiles that have hit Russian aircraft.

Russian helicopters are now steering clear of Ukraine's naval drones because they are vulnerable to the surface-to-air missiles some carry, a Ukrainian special forces commander said.

The commander, call sign Thirteen, leads "Group 13," a special forces unit within Ukraine's defense intelligence agency, the GUR, that uses naval drones. He said that Russian helicopters initially "posed a critical threat and made our work difficult."

However, the naval drones evolved to counter the aircraft. Specifically, Ukraine armed them with missiles.

"After that, the enemy stopped using helicopters against us altogether, realising they had become easy targets for our missiles," Thirteen said. He spoke earlier this month at a GUR showcase about Ukraine's naval drones, and his comments were reported by Ukrainian outlet Pravda.

The commander did not specify when this change occurred, but his update indicates an increasingly successful role for Ukraine's pioneering naval drones. The drones achieved tremendous wins against Russian warships, forcing Russia to relocate its naval vessels and increase combat air patrols. Now, it appears the new missile-armed naval drones are seeing success in driving away the air patrols.

Ukraine claimed its first naval drone kill of a Russian helicopter last December, calling it a first worldwide. It said a Magura V5 sea drone destroyed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter with missiles. Ukraine has since claimed more helicopter hits with its naval drones.

The usefulness of helicopters has shifted throughout the war. Russia saw its Ka-52 attack helicopters defeat Ukrainian armor but also suffered losses to air defenses, the proliferation of which has made it extremely difficult for either side to take control of the skies.

Russian helicopters, much like Ukraine's, have broadly been vulnerable to interceptors and drones, both aerial first-person-view (FPV) drones and now naval drones. They're increasingly employed with caution but still used for troop transport, logistical support, evacuations, armed support, air assault missions, and drone hunts.

Ukraine, for instance, has new helicopter units dedicated to shooting down Russian drones. Notably, though, they're engaging Shahed-style long-range one-way attack drones that Russia uses to attack cities, not front-line attack drones.

The naval drones' ability to shoot down helicopters reflects how rapidly the systems have evolved to hit a wider range of targets. Early in the war, the drones were used mainly as explosive-laden attack craft, ramming Russian warships and other vessels.

Along with aerial drones, they helped Ukraine blunt Russia's naval power despite Ukraine lacking a traditional navy, including by forcing much of Russia's Black Sea Fleet to withdraw to ports farther from Ukraine. The fleet used to be based in Sevastopol but is now positioned primarily at Novorossiysk.

Over time, Ukraine has expanded the drones' capabilities by adding missile and rocket launchers, guns, and even other drones that can be launched from the vessels. New variants and missions have followed, including drones that have downed Russian fighter jets and others designed specifically to strike Russian assets on rivers.

Ukraine makes its own sea drones, including Magura variants and the Sea Baby. Russia has also gotten into the naval drone business, and the West is increasingly paying attention to the impact that the assets can have in war.

The post Russia is keeping its helicopters away from Ukraine's naval drones, a special forces commander says. They were becoming 'easy targets.' appeared first on Business Insider