Russian aviation has likely lost a Mi-8 helicopter of a rare modification under unknown circumstances.
This was reported by several Russian “aviation propaganda” outlets, including “Voevoda Veshchaet” and “Me and My Helicopter.”
The published photographs show a helicopter of the Mi-8MTP-1 variant — a specialized electronic warfare aircraft based on the Mi-8MTV-5-1.
This version differs from the standard Mi-8MTV-5-1 in the absence of a ramp and crew cabin armor plates, a narrower left sliding door, fewer windows, and an additional antenna on the tail boom.
At this time, it is not known for certain whether a helicopter of this modification was actually lost. The circumstances of the incident also remain unclear.
Possible causes may include damage from a Ukrainian drone, the operation of air defense systems, including Russian ones, or a technical malfunction.
At the same time, this is not the first loss of this type of helicopter for Russia. According to the analytical service Oryx, Russian forces have lost at least five Mi-8MTP-1s since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Mi-8MTP-1
It is known that the combat vehicle is equipped with the Rychag-AV system, which includes the L187A jamming equipment.
The system operates in the 5.1-11 GHz band and is capable of simultaneously jamming up to eight targets in a sector of approximately 45° at a range of up to 150 km. The jamming power is estimated at approximately 105 kW per target.
The equipment itself is quite heavy — about 1,200 kg, and according to some estimates, up to 1,400 kg — and occupies most of the cargo compartment of the Mi-8MTV-5-1 base helicopter manufactured by the Kazan Aviation Plant.
The system operator’s workstation is located in the front section of the cargo compartment.
The Mi-8MTP-1 is capable of remaining airborne for up to 2.4 hours. Flights are typically conducted at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters — this enhances the effectiveness of the Rychag-AV system and increases its operational range, although the exact parameters of the operational radius are not officially disclosed.
