A Myanmar military Mi-17 helicopter was downed on May 21 during a supply mission near Bhamo, Kachin State, in what is possibly the first confirmed instance of a helicopter being downed by a first-person view (FPV) drone, according to local sources and video evidence released by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
Video footage posted by the resistance group shows the FPV drone, armed with an explosive warhead and controlled via a fiber-optic link, striking a Mi-17 helicopter mid-air as it attempted to land. The live-feed footage captures the moment the drone closes in on the helicopter’s rotor area.
The fucking helicopter was hit by an FPV drone. That’s insane.
h/t @htet2k2 for the video.Source (TNISO): https://t.co/9GaaFuq87q https://t.co/lHSy8MbFmA pic.twitter.com/KiltPxhTrt
— Imjin (@Asia_Intel) May 22, 2025
FPV Drone, Mi-17 vurdu
— Myanmar Ordusu’na ait bir Mi-17 Genel Maksat Helikopteri, bir Fiber Optik Kablolu Kamikaze FPV Drone kullanılarak vuruldu.
— Bir pilotun yara aldığı veya öldüğü iddia ediliyor.
— SavunmaSanayiST.com (@SavunmaSanayiST) May 22, 2025
Though the final impact and crash are not shown in the same video, subsequent clips depict the aftermath, including wreckage near the town of Shwegu and remains of the aircraft’s occupants.
Video of the junta Mi-17 crash site and remnants of seized weapons. I’ve cropped out the extremely graphic section showing what remains of the occupants https://t.co/FwnwyF0xou pic.twitter.com/zHOahOaeC8
— Woofers (@NotWoofers) May 21, 2025
KIA spokesman Colonel Naw Bu confirmed the attack to The Irrawaddy, an independent outlet operated by exiled Myanmar journalists, stating, “KIA troops bombed the helicopter on a football pitch near Infantry Battalion 56’s headquarters in Shwegu town.” He added that drones were also used to strike another helicopter grounded in the same area.
The Myanmar military acknowledged the crash but attributed it to a “technical fault,” according to the state-run Myanma Alinn, which also reported the incident occurred about 280 kilometers northeast of Mandalay and roughly 50 miles from the China-Myanmar border.
According to Kachin-based news outlets, the helicopter was one of two Mi-17s conducting an aerial logistics mission to resupply the besieged 21st Military Operations Command (MOC) near Bhamo. The base has reportedly been isolated by ground due to intensified fighting with ethnic armed groups.
Unofficial reports suggest that all seven individuals aboard the downed Mi-17 were killed. These claims have not been independently verified due to restricted media access and the remote nature of the conflict zone.
Ukrainian Armed Forces have made multiple claims regarding the use of FPV drones in striking Russian helicopters. In August 2024, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported that soldiers of the M2 unit struck a Mi-28 helicopter in Russia’s Kursk Region. Some military sources claimed the helicopter was brought down, but no visual confirmation or follow-up was provided.
In another incident in May 2025, SOFX reported on a viral social media post by Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) and the Balista Unit, in which they claimed the successful destruction of a Russian Ka-52 “Alligator” attack helicopter using a “Bombus” drone system. However, the video did not provide visual confirmation of a successful hit and included AI-altered footage and graphic overlays.
Myanmar’s military, known as the Tatmadaw, has lost multiple aircraft since the 2021 coup, including at least five helicopters and three jet fighters.
Armed resistance groups, particularly in ethnic border regions such as Kachin and Sagaing, have seen major success in operations against junta forces.
Given the limited support and isolated regions, these groups have sometimes resorted to improvised weapons, including 3D-printed firearms and repurposed commercial drones, as well as other unconventional methods to adapt to difficult terrain and logistical challenges.
As previously reported by SOFX, KIA fighters have been seen transporting supplies using elephants in remote areas around Kyaukse.
Other footage, also reported by SOFX, shows intense combat involving the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force 9th Battalion at a military base in Bawlakhe, Kayah State.
