Ukrainian forces carried out another successful strike. Operators from the 59th Brigade of the Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems managed to bring down a Russian helicopter using an FPV drone. The footage was released today on the official channel of Major Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces.
“The Mi-28 helicopter was destroyed by an FPV drone operated by pilots of the 59th Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces,” the statement reads.
A later update on the Unmanned Systems Forces’ Telegram channel clarified that operators from the 59th Separate Assault Brigade “Steppe Predators” destroyed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter, not a Mi-28. The incident took place near the settlement of Kotliarivka.
The Mi-8 is a Russian multipurpose helicopter used for troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, and as an aerial support platform for ground forces. Each unit is valued at no less than $10 million. In this case, Ukrainian forces brought it down with a small FPV drone costing around $500.
“The result is the work of our intelligence and our people,” the press service of the 59th Separate Assault Unmanned Systems Brigade named after Yakov Handziuk added. “Anyone who comes there ‘for a look’ should be prepared. For the future: don’t give us ‘surprises’ from the air – it will be costly for you.”
The unit also recently reported that “Madyar’s Birds” shot down a Russian Orion strike-and-reconnaissance UAV. Such high-value drones are relatively rare in Russian service, so each loss has a meaningful impact. The Orion was intercepted using a drone interceptor and is now the largest UAV downed by “Madyar’s Birds.”
Reminder: we recently reported that Robert “Madyar” Brovdi published a report summarizing the results of his first 100 days as commander of the Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces. The Unmanned Systems Forces grouping (USFS) was formed only on June 11, 2025, but in that time the unit has implemented several organizational and technical changes that improved the effectiveness of drone use in combat operations. Over those 100 days:
- 76,859 enemy targets destroyed or damaged verified
- 18,501 enemy personnel killed recorded
- 402,832 combat sorties flown, of which 197,710 were strike missions and 205,122 were reconnaissance missions.
Read also:
- “Drone Alliance”: EU Allocates €6 Billion for the Production of Ukrainian Drones
- Ukrainian drone manufacturer Ukrspecsystems plans to build a factory in the United Kingdom
Source: armyinform
