Russian Ka‑52 helicopter crashes near Ukraine border, pilot's fate uncertain
The Russians lost another Ka-52 Alligator helicopter, which crashed on the Ukrainian-Russian border. The circumstances of the incident are still unclear. The Ka-52 Alligator is the newest Russian attack helicopter valued at approximately $16 million.
Anton Gerashchenko shared information about the Russian helicopter crash on his X profile, noting that Russian bloggers also confirmed it. The Ka-52 Alligator crashed on the border between Russia's Kursk and Ukraine's Sumy regions. According to unconfirmed reports, one helicopter pilot died, and the other was injured.
The Russians lost another Ka-52 Alligator helicopter
It is possible that the Ka-52 Alligator was shot down by Ukrainians, as there were reports of clashes on the Ukrainian-Russian border, in which the Russians also reportedly lost two vehicles and two T-62 tanks.
The T-62 is a very old machine that does not present much combat value and is not worth much financially. It’s a completely different story with the Ka-52 Alligator. Each of these helicopters costs around $16 million.
The Ka-52 Alligator is a two-seat attack helicopter. Although its design was created in the 1980s, production only began in 2008.
The machine weighs approximately 8,000 kg and can be heavily armed. It has a 2A42 automatic cannon with a calibre of 30 mm, but it’s also adapted for 9K38 Igla anti-aircraft missiles, laser-guided 9K121 Vikhr anti-tank missiles with a range of up to 10 kilometres, and S-8 unguided rockets. In the latest Ka-52M variant, the helicopter can also use 9M123 Khrizantema missiles and the "Project 305," with a range of up to 20 kilometres.
The Ka-52 Alligator is powered by two Klimov engines, each with over 1,800 kW. They allow the pilots to reach speeds of up to 300 km/h.
The war in Ukraine has resulted in significant losses for the Russians concerning these helicopters. However, as Łukasz Michalik, a journalist for Wirtualna Polska, explained, most of these types of machines were shot down by Ukrainians in the early phase of the war. Over time, the Russians changed their tactics of use and started using modernized variants, which brought them measurable benefits.
