Kyiv shoots down four Russian helicopters in less than 20 minutes

Ukraine took to Twitter to gloat after the attack with the past two weeks bringing ‘the most serious escalation’ in the conflict since it began.

Ukraine infantry fire a US-made MK-19 grenade launcher towards Russian positions less than 800m away in the Donetsk region on Wednesday. Picture: AFP

Four Russian attack helicopters were shot down by Ukrainian forces in 18 minutes on Wendesday, officials in Kyiv said.

The helicopters were attacked by missile units in southern Ukraine, according to the country’s general staff. They were all thought to be two-seat Ka-52s. It is unclear if the crews had ejected before they were shot down between 8.40am and 8.58am local time.

Illustration: Johannes Leak

The helicopters were providing support for Russian troops. The general staff was seeking confirmation that another two Russian helicopters had been shot down at about the same time. Ukraine says that it has destroyed 234 Russian helicopters and 268 aircraft since the war began in February.

The news came as Britain announced it would supply Amraam missiles to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian cruise missiles. A statement issued by the Ministry of Defence said that the weapons would help to protect Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure after days of Russian strikes on civilian targets in cities across Ukraine.

Productive morning, Ukrainian style.
Today, in just 18 minutes, service members of #UAarmy shot down 4 russian helicopters that were spoiling beautiful autumn skies in the south of Ukraine.
No place for Alligators here.
The local climate is hostile towards them. pic.twitter.com/KjT9U3GnPN

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) October 12, 2022

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, said on Wednesday the past two weeks had brought “the most serious escalation” in the conflict since it began. Speaking at a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, he said the alliance would press on with nuclear deterrence exercises next week after Russian threats to use nuclear weapons.

“We have seen the speculation about the use of low-yield nuclear weapons in Ukraine and we have conveyed clearly to Russia that this will have severe consequences,” he said. Mr Stoltenberg welcomed the early delivery of the first of four anti-aircraft systems by Germany.

NATO’s pledge came after Russia arrested eight people in connection with an explosion last weekend that damaged a key bridge to Crimea, an attack Moscow said had been orchestrated by Ukrainian military intelligence. Five Russians and three citizens of Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia had been detained, the FSB security service said.

Four people were killed when a truck exploded on a bridge between Russia and Crimea on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

Moscow investigators said four people had been killed on Saturday when a truck was thought to have exploded on the 12-mile bridge linking Russia to Crimea, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014. The FSB alleged the bridge explosion was organised by Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence. Officials in Kyiv welcomed the attack on the bridge but did not claim responsibility. The Ukrainian interior ministry said the accusation was “nonsense”.

The bridge, hailed by the Kremlin as one of the key achievements of President Putin’s rule, had been used to move weapons and troops to Ukraine. Russia responded by launching missiles at ten Ukrainian cities, killing at least 19 people and destroying parts of the power grid.

Mr Putin says the gas pipelines could still be turned on for Russian supplies to the EU

The FSB also said it had arrested two Ukrainians who were suspected of preparing attacks with a portable missile launcher near Moscow and to blow up a transport hub in Bryansk, western Russia. The FSB routinely tortures people into admitting terrorism charges, human rights groups say.

Mr Putin will meet President Erdogan of Turkey on the fringes of a summit in Kazakhstan on Thursday, the Kremlin said. Erdogan has previously tried to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow. Mr Putin is also set to meet Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog.

At least seven people died on Wednesday when Russia shelled a market in the town of Avdiivka, in the Donetsk region, officials said. Nine were injured. “There is no military logic to such shelling,” Pavlo Kyrylenko, the regional governor, said.

Mr Putin said on Wednesday that the gas pipelines could still be turned on for Russian supplies to the EU. Moscow could redirect Nord Stream gas supplies to the Black Sea and even set up a gas hub for Europe in Turkey, he said. Moscow has not delivered gas to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 line since August and Nord Stream 2 was halted after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The Times