Key facts
- A Russian Mi-8 helicopter was reportedly shot down by a Su-35 fighter jet in Voronezh Oblast on October 1.
- All three crew members aboard the Mi-8 were killed.
- The incident occurred while Russian forces were responding to a supposed Ukrainian drone attack.
- Ukrainian Telegram channels suggested the Su-35 crew mistook the Mi-8 for a Ukrainian drone.
- Russian military blogger Ilya Tumanov reported the helicopter's loss without specifying the cause.
A Russian Mi-8 military helicopter was reportedly shot down by a Russian Su-35 fighter jet in a friendly-fire incident in Russia's Voronezh Oblast on October 1, resulting in the deaths of all three crew members. The incident occurred as Russian forces were responding to a supposed Ukrainian drone attack.
According to reports from several Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels, the Su-35 crew mistakenly identified the Mi-8 as a Ukrainian drone and opened fire. The Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova Plus stated that the pilot, navigator, and onboard gunner of the Mi-8 were killed. Another Ukrainian channel, Dossier of a Spy, corroborated this account, stating the Mi-8 was mistakenly shot down by a Su-35 during a drone attack.
Russian military blogger Ilya Tumanov, who operates the Fighterbomber Telegram channel, reported the loss of the helicopter but did not specify the cause. The reports have not been independently verified, and Russian authorities have not publicly confirmed that the Mi-8 was shot down by a fighter jet.
The Mi-8, a Soviet-designed twin-engine helicopter introduced in the 1960s, is widely used for transport, combat support, and humanitarian missions. The Su-35 is a Russian multirole fighter aircraft derived from the Su-27.