Ukraine's Helicopters Emerge As Accurate, Cost-Effective Anti-Drone Weapons

Once thought to have been rendered so vulnerable as to be irrelevant on the modern Ukrainian battlefield, helicopters have recently emerged as surprisingly accurate and cost-effective anti-drone weapons.

The Ukrainians' 'copters have been so successful in this mission that Ukraine has announced the formation of new helicopter units specifically tasked with this assignment.  With their array of armaments and their relatively low cost compared to interceptor drones, helicopters appear to have taken on a new life as a defense technology. JL

Espreso Global reports and Jake Epstein reports in Business Insider:

As Ukraine grapples with relentless drone attacks, a surprising and cost-effective countermeasure is emerging from an unexpected source: its fleet of traditional helicopters and light aircraft. Helicopters can shoot down as many as 40% of the Russian drones in their coverage areas, depending on the weather. Ukraine will now form new helicopter units to shoot down Russian drones. Recently, a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter gunner downed six Shahed-136 'kamikaze' drones and four decoy drones in a single mission. The operational cost for that one-hour flight was $1,000 to $1,500—a fraction of the €30,000 to €60,000 required for specialized interceptor drones to achieve the same result. 

As Ukraine grapples with relentless drone attacks, a surprising and cost-effective countermeasure is emerging from an unexpected source: its fleet of traditional helicopters and light aircraft. Ukraine will form new helicopter units to shoot down exploding Russian drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this week, as Kyiv looks to aircraft for support in defending the skies.

"We determined how to expand the capabilities of army aviation to protect against drones," Zelenskyy said after meeting with military officials on Monday. "Additional helicopter groups will be formed."

 

In a statement published on the Telegram messaging platform, he said Ukraine is working with its international partners to secure "more necessary types of aircraft." He did not provide additional details about how many new helicopter groups would be formed.

Helicopters have become an essential part of Ukraine's air defenses as Russia has ramped up the production of its notorious one-way attack drones, strikes exacting a worsening toll on cities and civilian infrastructure.

Ukraine's military commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said last month that helicopters can sometimes shoot down as many as 40% of the Russian drones in their coverage areas, depending on the weather.

Military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko discussed the issue on Telegram. 

In a dramatic demonstration of this shifting calculus, a recent video surfaced showing a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter gunner successfully downing six Shahed-136 'kamikaze' drones and four decoy drones in a single mission. The operational cost for that one-hour flight is estimated at $1,000 to $1,500—a fraction of the €30,000 to €60,000 that would have been required for specialized interceptor drones to achieve the same result. 

This development comes as officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have highlighted the economics of the air war. On September 13, Zelenskyy noted that it can take up to two interceptor drones, costing around €3,000 each, to neutralize a single incoming Shahed. While these anti-aircraft drones are a vital and more economical alternative to expensive surface-to-air missile systems, their limitations and one-time-use nature are forcing a broader look at all available assets.

The success is not limited to helicopters. Military analysts point to the unexpected effectiveness of aircraft like the Yak-52 trainer plane, which has been systematically shooting down not only reconnaissance drones but also Shahed-136s. This low-tech solution has proven so effective that Russian forces are reportedly studying the tactic, despite the Yak-52 being ill-suited for combat missions.

 

The debate is now shifting toward the potential of purpose-built light attack aircraft, such as the A-29 Super Tucano or AT-6 Wolverine. 

Proponents argue that squadrons of these planes could proactively hunt and intercept drone swarms hundreds of kilometers from cities, relieving pressure on ground-based air defenses. With an hourly flight cost between $500 and $1,000, a single light attack aircraft could neutralize up to 10 targets per mission, offering a reusable and highly mobile defense layer. 

The core message is not an argument against anti-aircraft drones, but a call for a comprehensive, integrated strategy where the unique strengths of every asset are leveraged against the evolving threat.