Ukrainian FPV (first-person-view) drone shot down a Russian Mi-28N in Donetsk Oblast, Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, said on Sept. 29.

Pilots from the 59th Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces destroyed the Russian helicopter near the village of Kotliarivka. The strike was credited to coordinated intelligence and operational efforts by the Unmanned Systems Forces.

0:00/1×Footage purportedly shows the downing of a Russian Mi-28N helicopter near the village of Kotliarivka in Donetsk Oblast. (Robert “Madyar” Brovdi/Facebook)

Kotliarivka is situated in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast, near the border with Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the village of Mezhova.

The estimated Russian advance (red) near Kotliarivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, as of Sept. 29, 2025. (Deep/StateOpenStreetMaps)

“Whoever flies there ‘for a look’ — be prepared,” the brigade’s statement read. “For the future: do not give us any ‘surprises’ from the air — it will cost you dearly.”

The Mi-28N is a Russian attack helicopter built for all-weather, day-and-night combat. Equipped with heavy armor and an array of weapons, it is designed to take on tanks, infantry, and other targets on the battlefield with precision and firepower.

This is not the first time Ukraine has taken down a Russian helicopter, an asset valued at around $16 million, using a relatively inexpensive FPV drone costing just a few thousand dollars.

Ukrainian forces successfully shot down a Mi-28 over Russia’s Kursk Oblast in August 2024, using the same tactic, marking the first such incident and describing it as “a unique special operation in military history.”

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