Russia Lost Its Rarest Helicopter Under Mysterious Circumstances

• 19.05.2026, 7:52

There are several versions of what happened.

Russian aviation has probably lost a helicopter of the rare Mi-8MTPR-1 modification under as yet unclear circumstances. This is reported by "Militar" with reference to Russian propaganda resources.

According to analysts, the published images may show the Mi-8MTPR-1 - a specialized version of the electronic suppression helicopter, based on the Mi-8MTV-5-1.

This modification differs from the production machines by a number of design features: the absence of a cargo ramp and armored plates of the cockpit, narrower left sliding doors, a reduced number of portholes, as well as an additional antenna placed on the tail beam.

The circumstances of the incident remain unknown, making it impossible to draw definitive conclusions.

The possible causes include being hit by a Ukrainian drone, the operation of air defense systems - including Russian ones - as well as a technical malfunction.

According to analysts, this is not the first such case. According to the Oryx service, Russia may have lost at least five Mi-8MTPR-1 helicopters since the start of the full-scale invasion.