Ukrainian helicopter crews have adapted an innovative tactic to combat Russian drones by using machine guns installed in the noses of their Mil Mi-8 “Hip” transport helicopters. This unconventional method, which recalls air combat strategies from World War II, allows Ukrainian forces to target and destroy enemy drones without expending costly air-defense missiles.

A recently circulated video showcases the effectiveness of this tactic. The footage captures a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter engaging and shooting down a Russian Shahed-136 attack drone. In the video, a gunner, positioned between the pilot and co-pilot, fires a machine gun through the helicopter’s nose glazing, successfully hitting the drone, which then falls and explodes near a lake. The engagement temporarily fills the helicopter’s cockpit with gun fumes.

The crew of a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter shot down a Russian UAV with fire from a mounted machine gun as part of combined air defense operations. pic.twitter.com/3mHOprQhgE

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) August 22, 2024

The Mi-8 helicopter, widely used by the Ukrainian military, has historically been capable of carrying various weapon systems, including guns mounted under its stub wings or in side doors. However, the adaptation of under-nose machine guns is less common. This setup, which involves replacing part of the helicopter’s transparent nose glazing with a flexible mount for the gun, has proven effective in drone-hunting operations.

This approach is part of a broader trend in the Ukrainian military’s ongoing efforts to counter Russian drones. Ukrainian forces have employed a variety of methods, including using machine-gun-armed trucks, ramming Ukrainian drones into Russian drones, and even deploying small aircraft with armed gunners to target drones. 

During yesterday’s massive combined Russian drone and cruise missile attack, Ukrainian Army Aviation helicopters went drone hunting.

Seen here, a Ukrainian Mi-8 chases down, engages, and destroys a Russian Shahed-136 attack drone. pic.twitter.com/zRKAguc9yT

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 27, 2024

This method of using machine guns to down drones is not entirely new. Similar tactics were employed during the Bosnian War in the early 1990s when Serbian forces used Mi-8 helicopters to shoot down U.S. drones. 

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