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Close-Up Of Ukrainian Mi-17 Lobbing Unguided Rockets
Published 2 years ago
A video claims to show a Ukrainian operated Mi-17 helicopter firing unguided missiles, presumably onto Russian positions.
This isn't the first instance throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict we have seen this odd tactic being utilized. To be quite honest, the vast majority of helicopter footage we have covered displays the same long-distance approach with unguided missiles. Some may still have the question, well why are they doing this?
In the first several weeks of the ongoing conflict, transport and attack helicopters did not have a very long life expectancy, more specifically Russian ones. As Ukraine has gathered more and more surface-to-air technologies, Russia has begun utilizing a ranged approach instead. Sure, it is significantly less effective and potentially dangerous in all perspectives, but it also saves them from losing hundreds of millions of dollars in equipment from few thousand dollar anti-air, shoulder fired weapon. Those ratios don't align very well.
Now, the footage here claims to show a Ukrainian operated helicopter practicing the same tactics. Did the Ukrainian pilots also adopt the same strategy? By these claims, I'd assume so.
