Ukraine's special ops forces say they just scored a battlefield first: taking out a Russian helicopter with a 'deep strike' drone

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A helicopter in the air above grass with trees in the foreground and backgraound and a grey sky
Helicopters like the Soviet-era Mi-8 have been key for both Russia and Ukraine, but have been very vulnerable.

YURIY DYACHYSHYN/AFP via Getty Images

Zelenskyy and his spy chief grabbed a photo with what looks like the Mi-8 helicopter a Russian pilot secretly flew to Ukraine in a daring defection

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dressed in green sands next to Ukrainian spy chief Kyrylo Budanov dressed in fatigues in front of a helicopter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian spy chief Kyrylo Budanov pose with a Mi-8 helicopter

President of Ukraine

The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter said he flew 32 feet above the ground to avoid being seen and turned off his transponder, per the WSJ

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Composite photo of a Mi-8 helicopter and Russian pilot who defected.
Left: A Russian Mi-8 military helicopter in Russia on January 19, 2022; Right: The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine published a video interview with a man identified as a Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter last month.

Left: REUTERS/Sergey Pivovarov; Right: Defense Intelligence of Ukraine

The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter is encouraging other Russians to do the same, promising they'll be taken care of for life

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A screen grab of Maxim Kuzminov.
The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine published a video interview with Maxim Kuzminov, the Russian pilot who it said defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter last month.

Defense Intelligence of Ukraine

Ukraine's efforts to rack up Russian defectors and their equipment helped land the country an Mi-8 helicopter and fighter jet parts

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A Ukrainian service member watches an MI-8 helicopter.
A Ukrainian service member watches an Mi-8 helicopter during training in August.

Alex Babenko

4 Russian military aircraft 'ambushed' and shot down near Ukrainian border, Russian media reports

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The Sukhoi Su-34 jet fighter-bomber of Russian Air Force.
The Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bomber.

aviation-images.com/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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