According to reports, a Russian helicopter was observed splitting in two after Ukrainian forces launched an attack. As per the sources, the Ukrainian military used the British-made Starstreak missile.
A video of the incident that has gone viral on the internet shows the tail of the Mi28N breaking after being hit by the missile. The helicopter was targeted in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine.
The report is based on data from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry insiders, who stated that the anti-aircraft system had been deployed in the country for about a week.
This is the first time Britain’s high-velocity missile has been used. Last week, online footage showed Ukrainian helicopters launching a barrage of rockets at a fuel storage tank in Russia’s Belgorod, followed by an explosion.
The Starstreak is the United Kingdom’s most advanced, portable missile weapon, employing three kinetic darts to hit targets. The missile has a top speed of 3,000 miles per hour, and it may be fired from a stand or shoulder launcher and can hit targets up to 4 miles distant.
Last month, Britain’s Defence Minister Ben Wallace stated that the country would give Ukraine anti-aircraft missiles to assist it in defending its airspace against Russia’s invasion. He called the missile system “vital” for Ukraine.
According to The Times, the British Ministry of Defense deployed a team of Starstreak operators and a simulator to a secret location in a neighbouring nation for training to assist Ukrainians in handling the weapon.
Even though British operators had intended to spend two to three weeks extensively teaching Ukrainian troops, its use this week suggests soldiers learnt how to use it in just one or two weeks, according to the reports.
On Saturday, Russia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom warned the Russian news outlet TASS that British military supplies to Ukraine were “legitimate targets” for the Russian army.
According to Ambassador Andrey Kelin, delivering armaments like Starstreak missiles is “destabilising.”
“They exacerbate the situation, making it even bloodier. Apparently, those are new, high-precision weapons,” Kelin told the news agency.
“Naturally, our armed forces will view them as a legitimate target if those supplies get through the Ukrainian border.”
