In an update to its daily report on the war in Ukraine, British military intelligence said there were verified losses.
They said the 23 Ka-50s in question correspond to half of the helicopters already lost by Russia in Ukraine.
According to British experts, Russian helicopters have shown themselves to be vulnerable to portable air defense systems of the Ukrainian forces, as they operate with less coverage than fighter jets, as they “would be expected under Russian military doctrine.”
“Russia continues to be unable to maintain sufficient air superiority” that would allow it to “guarantee constant and effective support close to the front line, and its artillery ammunition is exhausted,” British Defense said.
London experts estimate that “Russian commanders may increasingly resort to high-risk helicopter missions”, “one of the few ways to closely support troops in combat”.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 this year, plunging Europe into what is considered the worst security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
After initial gains by Russian troops, Ukraine received aid from its Western allies in military equipment, which recently allowed it to mount a counteroffensive.
Ukraine has claimed territorial gains in many parts of the country, including areas illegally annexed by Russia.
On September 30, Moscow officially annexed Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia, a move not recognized by Kiev or the international community in general.
Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
The balance of civilian and military casualties in the Ukrainian war is unknown, but many sources, including the UN, agree it could be significantly higher.
Both sides have been reporting victories by their fighting forces almost daily, but the information could not be immediately independently verified.
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