Ukraine Destroys Russian 'Alligator' Helicopter Near Avdiivka With MANPADS

Ukraine has boasted that its forces have downed a Russian attack helicopter in the Donetsk region using a surface-to-air missile.

Ukraine's defense ministry posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday that a Russian Ka-52 "Alligator" helicopter had been downed near Avdiivka using a Man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS). The weapons were among the first supplied in the war to Ukraine by the U.S. and the West.

"Russian Alligator, born to crawl—cannot fly," said the post.

Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of the Tavria operational and strategic grouping of troops said the incident took place in the Tavria sector of the front.

"The enemy's Alligator with its crew was hit by a portable anti-aircraft missile complex and fertilized the soil in the Avdiivka direction," Tarnavskyi said on Telegram.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.

A fierce fight is ongoing in Avdiivka amid reports that the town, which is a gateway to the nearby Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, is about to be captured by Moscow's forces, delivering them a vital gain in their bid to control the Donbas region.

Tarnavskyi also said that Russian forces are now concentrating their offensive operations near Novopavlivka and Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Produced by the Kamov Design Bureau, the Ka-52 is an updated twin-seat version of the Ka-50 attack helicopter and is designed to destroy armored and unarmored ground targets, tanks, low-speed aerial targets, and personnel, according to the website Airforce Technology.

It has an estimated price tag of around $13 million, and has been key to Russia's air support for its soldiers and equipment on the battlefields of Ukraine.

As of Thursday, the tally of Russian helicopter losses during the war in Ukraine, according to the website Oryx was 135, of which 104 were destroyed, 29 were damaged and two were captured.

These include 60 Alligator Ka-52s although Oryx says its numbers are based on photo or video evidence and so the real amount of equipment destroyed is "significantly higher" than it has recorded. Ukraine's tally of helicopter losses is much higher and as of Thursday, stood at 322.

Meanwhile, Vladislav Rykov, a highly experienced Ukrainian Air Force pilot of 385 sorties, was killed in action on Wednesday, Ukraine's 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade reported on social media, without providing further details of his death.

Fellow Ukrainian Air Force pilot Rostyslav Lazarenko posted on Facebook that Rykov "was the best pilot and commander I knew," and said that "my heart was ripped out yesterday."

Update 8/2/2024, 8:30 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with further information

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