Russian military forces are using helicopters to destroy maritime drones of the Defense Forces in the Black Sea area. This was stated by the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Navy, Dmitry Pletenchuk, during a TV broadcast.
"They (the Russians) use them (helicopters) for anti-drone patrols. This mostly happens in the Black Sea. I don't even remember them using them in the Azov Sea. There’s no special reason to do so in the Azov, but in the Black Sea, yes, in the eastern part, helicopters are often seen. They use them because they chose this method as one of the ways to combat maritime drones," Pletenchuk said.
According to the spokesperson, helicopters provide a more convenient way for the occupiers to carry out surveillance and escort tasks for the maritime drones along their trajectory. They also employ patrol aircraft.
"They also use patrol aircraft, which are also rotary-winged, such as the An-26, Be-12, and Be-200—older models, but they have low speed and altitude. This allows the aircraft to observe and search for these units," he added.
