VIDEO: Russian Ka-29 Helicopter Pursues Ukrainian MAGURA Maritime Drone Near Crimea

Recently unveiled footage, shared by Ukrainian military correspondent Andrii Tsaplienko and originally sourced from a Russian Telegram channel, unveils a chase involving a Russian Ka-29 multirole helicopter and a Ukrainian maritime drone, reportedly the MAGURA model.

The incident, which likely took place near Crimea, involved four Ukrainian marine drones, according to reports.

The MAGURA drone in question was said to be modified and armed with an R-73 aircraft missile, although it is unable to fire the missile at close range.

As explained by the LampInfo YouTube channel, the R-73 missile has a “dead zone” of about 300 meters (984 feet), meaning the drone cannot strike a target within that distance. If the helicopter maintains a distance greater than 300 meters, it could potentially be within the missile’s range.

During the chase, the Ka-29 helicopter is seen firing all of its onboard weapons, including what is reported to be a 7.62mm machine gun, a GSHG-7.62 automatic cannon, and a 23mm GSH-23L aviation cannon.

The MAGURA V5 (Maritime Autonomous Guard Unmanned Robotic Apparatus) is a Ukrainian unmanned surface drone used for reconnaissance and destruction of enemy targets. This drone is known to be used by the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense, particularly by the special unit “Group13.

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The MAGURA V5 is capable of a variety of maritime operations, including surveillance, reconnaissance, patrol, and combat missions.

The unmanned surface vehicle (USV) is 5.5 meters (18 feet) long, and 1.5 meters (5 feet) wide, has a cruising speed of 40.7 kilometers per hour (25 mph), a maximum speed of 77.8 kilometers per hour (48 mph), and a range of about 833 kilometers (518 miles). Thanks to its hydrodynamic hull and maneuverability, the V5 demonstrates stealth-like capabilities.

A study by Polish scientists has concluded that the Ukrainian MAGURA V5 drone destroyed the highest number of Russian ships among naval drones in the Russo-Ukrainian War.