A Russian attack helicopter is blown out of the sky by a Ukrainian soldier armed with a missile launcher in this intense footage shared by National Guard.
The MRI-eight attack chopper, capable of carrying eight troops or a massive 2,400kg payload, was flying low over fields in an attempt to avoid detection when the weapon was fired.
The pilot attempts to keep it airborne before it eventually crashes in a field in Zaporizhzhya, located in the south east of the nation.
The missile launcher, known as a man-portable air-defence system (MANPAD), is a Soviet-designed infrared homing surface-to-air missile system.
The National Guard of Ukraine said of the incident: “On 22nd September, 2022, a serviceman of the National Guard of Ukraine shot down an enemy Mi-8 with an Igla MANPADS during a raid by enemy aircraft in the direction of Zaporizhzhya."
Since the outbreak of war in February the skies of the under siege nation have been fiercely contested, with scores of helicopters and jets destroyed from both sides.
Both fleets have taken heavy personnel losses in the months of fighting with destroyed pieces of hardware littering the ruined cities and countryside.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has reported since the outbreak in February, Russia has so far lost about 56,060 personnel, 2,254 tanks, 4,796 armoured combat vehicles, 1,355 artillery units, 326 multiple launch rocket systems, 170 air defence systems, 254 warplanes, 219 helicopters, 950 drones, 240 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 3,659 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 126 units of special equipment.
The destruction comes as hundreds of thousands of Russian reservist civilians have been conscripted to join the battle in Ukraine at warlord Vladimir Putin ’s orders.
Tens of thousands of citizens, meanwhile, have tried to flee the country to avoid being sent to the frontline, with queues at borders to Finland, Georgia and Mongolia.
Sinister queues were formed at the country’s airports and filtered to check whether those in them were fit to fight.
Men deemed fit enough have been blocked from leaving, even if they had tickets or visas for another country.
Women have been allowed to depart, under the new rules of Putin’s Iron Curtain.
Videos showed men in the Russian Far East beginning a journey of thousands of miles after being summonsed and sent for military training before going to the front in the war with Ukraine.
Earlier this week Putin claimed the West has engaged in nuclear blackmail against Russia and that he is unafraid to retaliate with "lots of weapons."
In a major escalation, the Russian President appeared to threaten possible nuclear strikes in response to what he called attacks on his territory.
The warmonger had been due to address the nation on Tuesday night but his speech was delayed without explanation.
Speaking on Wednesday morning in a rare address, he said: "The West has engaged in nuclear blackmail against us.
"If its territorial integrity is threatened Russia will use all the means at its disposal to protect our people.
"This is not a bluff."
