Key Factors
- Ukrainian strike drones destroyed a Russian Ka-52 assault helicopter and a Mi-8 multirole helicopter on the Pugachevka airfield in Russia’s Oryol area on February 20, 2026.
- The focused airfield was reportedly used as an operational base for helicopters tasked with intercepting Ukrainian long-range drones.
Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed two Russian army helicopters — a Ka-52 assault helicopter and a Mi-8 multirole helicopter — throughout a drone strike on the Pugachevka airfield in Russia’s Oryol area on the night of February 20, 2026, based on reporting by Militarnyi.
The assault highlights Ukraine’s continued use of long-range strike drones to focus on aviation property positioned away from the entrance line, significantly plane concerned in countering Ukrainian unmanned aerial operations.
Militarnyi reported that the helicopters have been based mostly on the Pugachevka airfield close to the village of Pugachevka, a small unpaved airstrip belonging to the Oryol Aeroclub of Russia’s DOSAAF group, a state-linked voluntary society supporting aviation and army coaching actions.
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In line with the report, Russian forces possible used the location as an operational airfield for a consolidated helicopter detachment tasked with intercepting Ukrainian long-range drones. The strike occurred within the night hours, when each plane have been reportedly stationed on the bottom.
The destroyed Mi-8 multirole helicopter carried board quantity 53 and belonged to the 319th Impartial Helicopter Regiment, completely based mostly in Chernigovka in Russia’s Primorsky Krai. The Mi-8 platform is broadly utilized by Russian forces for transport, logistics help, medical evacuation, and operational coordination missions.
The second plane destroyed within the strike was a Ka-52 “Alligator” assault helicopter with board quantity 18. In line with Militarnyi, the helicopter was assigned to the sixteenth Military Aviation Brigade based mostly in Zernograd, Rostov area.
The Ka-52 is one in every of Russia’s main assault helicopters, designed for reconnaissance and strike missions utilizing guided missiles, rockets, and cannon armament. The plane has been broadly employed all through the struggle in Ukraine for shut air help and anti-armor operations.
As reported by Militarnyi, the Pugachevka web site seems to operate as a ahead or short-term working location quite than a everlasting army base. Such dispersed airfields permit helicopter items to reposition quickly and develop protection in opposition to incoming drones, complicating focusing on by Ukrainian forces.
Drone strikes in opposition to aviation property on the bottom scale back operational threat in contrast with aerial engagements and might degrade helicopter availability with out requiring direct air fight. Plane positioned at improvised or calmly protected airfields could also be extra weak to precision drone assaults, significantly when used for rapid-response missions.
Ukraine has more and more focused Russian aviation infrastructure positioned inside Russian territory, specializing in helicopters and plane concerned in intercepting Ukrainian long-range unmanned methods. These operations purpose to scale back Russia’s capacity to counter drone strikes focusing on army and industrial websites.
