They are the eyes and the armed arm of Ukraine in the sky of Donbass. As kyiv seeks new air resources from its Western partners, its helicopters are already waging a high-altitude war against the Russian invader.
For a report released Monday morning, the Ukrainian military allowed BFMTV to attach a camera to one of the planes of its 18th Autonomous Air Brigade, which opposes Russian troops in the Donetsk region.
to make fast
Takeoff is from a secret base, in the frosty morning of eastern Ukraine. It’s all about flying early to increase your chances of escaping the Russian hunt. Nothing is left to chance because in the air every error is paid.
The helicopter that houses the BFMTV camera is flying low, but its engine is pushing at full power. It is a Russian position located near Bakhmout that the 18 Autonomous Air Brigade of the Ukrainian Army has this time in sight. 6 km from the target, the plane rises and spits out a salvo.
After which, it is necessary to act quickly, because such a shot makes the helicopter easily detected by the opposing air force or anti-aircraft defense. So it must recover and cover its tracks, launching about twenty small incandescent missiles that will hopefully draw Russian rockets towards them. Fortunately, the day’s maneuver was crowned with success: the three crews returned safely to their starting runways.
“We have no right to worry”
However, once at the base, the job is not quite finished. We rush around the guns, emptying them, then reloading them with ammo. The pilots don’t know when they will be called back into the air, so they intend to be ready.
Before projecting himself into this necessarily near future, Vlad, one of the pilots, reviews the day’s operation: “Our mission was to attack an area where there were light armored vehicles and men. We flew there, then we fired, and we came back. We just received the confirmation that the objective has been achieved.
The teams also received congratulations from their commander by SMS. Additional good news: you won’t have to fly anymore for today. It is the moment of relief, but Vlad shows his sense of sacrifice: “Fear is present at all times, but you have to fight it. The most important thing is to fulfill the mission.” He insists: “We have no right to worry before we get home.”
Source: BFM TV
