Today, Saturday, Ukrainian Mi-8 attack helicopters bombed military targets near the city of Bakhmut.
After completing the 30-minute mission, Petro, a helicopter commander, said that the target was “fortifications that include soldiers, armored vehicles and ammunition depots.”
The fortifications are located northeast of Bakhmut, near the city of Severodonetsk. Ukrainian forces are still holding out, although they are surrounded.
“Before take-off, we choose the flight path using a special application to maintain the lowest possible altitude,” Petro, 23, explained.
“For example, if we see an altitude of 180 meters, we look for lower places because this is very high, and we find a path that can be flown at 130 and 100 metres,” he added.
“The goal is to fly below average over rural areas so that radars don’t see us and they know we’re coming,” Petro said.
“When we are 6,200 meters from the target, we go up 20 degrees…then we fire the missiles,” explains the Ukrainian pilot.
Then the helicopters turn left and descend again to start the return flight, which has a different path, in order to avoid falling into ambushes and being detected by the defense systems.
At the front, Ukrainian infantrymen are informed of the date of the attack, and they send a drone to check its outcome.
If the target is not hit, a second attack is prepared based on valid data.
#Ukraine #bombed #targets #Bakhmut #missiles