This is the moment Ukrainian forces blow a Russian Mi-8 attack helicopter gunship out of the sky in Donetsk.
The footage shows the Russian attack helicopter flying low across a field before it is hit by a missile fired from the ground.
The missile explodes on impact but the helicopter continues to fly for some time. It can be seen on fire, with flames gushing out of its left side.
Eventually, the helicopter begins gushing black smoke and comes crashing down in a fireball in a field, rolling onto its roof as its rotor breaks off.
The images were obtained from the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Monday, 31st October, along with statement saying that the images were filmed on the “administrative borders of Luhansk and Donetsk regions”.
They added: “Somehow a Russian helicopter flew in to bring death to Ukrainian families, but the sky is tightly controlled by the glorious soldiers of the anti-aircraft missile division of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
“The soldiers saw a foreign ‘bird’ in the sky and did what had to be done – they ‘destroyed the harmful fly’ together with its crew.”
They signed off with “Glory to Ukraine!”
The images were also relayed by the Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security, which operates under the umbrella of the Ministry of Culture and Information.
Ukrainian media reported that a portable anti-aircraft missile system was used to take down the helicopter.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 251st day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 1st November, Russia had lost about 72,470 personnel, 2,698 tanks, 5,501 armoured combat vehicles, 1,730 artillery units, 383 multiple launch rocket systems, 197 air defence systems, 276 warplanes, 257 helicopters, 1,415 drones, 397 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,143 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 154 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
The Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities have been hit by a massive wave of Russian missile strikes. Hydroelectric power plants have also been hit, as have other critical energy and water infrastructure across Ukraine.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has said that 40 per cent of the city’s residents do not have running water and 270,000 homes were without electricity as of Monday evening.
The Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom James Cleverly has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “exacting vengeance” for his military failures with the missile strikes and by withdrawing from the Black Sea grain export deal.
Putin has said that the missile strikes have been aimed at hitting energy and military infrastructure but Ukraine has denied that its military facilities are being targeted.
Putin has also said that the strikes and the decision to pull out of the Black Sea grain deal were in response to a drone attack on Moscow’s fleet in Crimea that he has blamed on Ukraine.
Putin said on Monday that Ukrainian drones had used the same marine corridors that the grain ships transit through under the UN-brokered deal.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said in a statement that it wanted Ukraine to provide “commitments” to avoid using the Black Sea grain corridor for military purposes.
The United Nations has disputed Moscow’s claim that a civilian cargo ship that was carrying grain out of Ukraine might have been used as part of the drone strike against the Russian fleet.
France is now reportedly working on a plan to export Ukrainian food products by land routes instead of the Black Sea.
Russia is reportedly recruiting Afghan special forces soldiers to fight in Ukraine, with three former Afghan generals reportedly saying that Moscow wanted to entice thousands of elite Afghan commandos in a bid to create a “foreign legion”.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said on Monday that Moscow had now completed the partial mobilisation announced by Putin in September.
