Ukraine shares footage that appears to show a Russian helicopter gunship shot down in flames with a Stinger portable air-defense system, say reports
Ukrainian footage shows the moment a Russian helicopter was shot down and burst into flames.
The Mil Mi-24 Hind gunship helicopter was shot down around 25 miles north of Kyiv, per Bellingcat.
The helicopter was targeted by an FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS, according to a report.
Footage appears to show the moment a Russian gunship helicopter was shot down by a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) in the Kyiv Oblast province of Ukraine.
In the video, a helicopter immediately bursts into flames and crashes to the ground after being targeted by a weapon.
—Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) March 5, 2022
The footage was shared on Twitter by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine on Saturday morning. "This is how the Russian occupiers are dying," the ministry said in the caption. "This time in a helicopter!"
It was also circulated on Facebook by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The helicopter in the footage appears to be a Mil Mi-24 Hind gunship, according to MailOnline.
Up to eight paratroopers, in addition to its two-person crew, can conduct fire with small arms through the openings in the side windows of these helicopters. Mil Mi-24 Hind gunships have been in use since 1970.
The helicopter appears to have been shot down by an FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS, according to the military and civil aviation website The Aviationist. These man-portable air-defense systems developed in the US can operate as an infrared homing surface-to-air missile.
Several nations have said they are providing Stinger missiles to the Ukrainian forces amid the Russian invasion, including Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, and the US.
Insider reported that President Joe Biden sent Ukraine Stinger anti-aircraft missiles as part of a $350 million military aid package.
It is not immediately clear when the footage was filmed, but according to geolocating by the investigative journalism group Bellingcat, the video was captured in the Kyiv Oblast region of Ukraine.
According to GPS coordinates, verified by Bellingcat, the aircraft crashed 25 miles north of the city center of Kyiv.
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