Russian Ka‑52M helicopter destroys friendly howitzers in Kursk

Most likely due to a misidentification, the crew of a Russian Ka-52M helicopter operating in the Kursk region opened friendly fire on a military column consisting of several armoured vehicles. As a result, two Russian 2S19M2 Msta-S howitzers were destroyed.

The incident was reported by the Russians, who were initially unaware of what had happened. Posts appeared on Russian channels on the Telegram service proclaiming that a Ukrainian sabotage-reconnaissance group in the Kursk region had been located and the equipment they used had been destroyed.

However, the posts quickly disappeared and are now being disseminated by the Ukrainian side. It turned out that the crew of the Russian Ka-52M helicopter had opened friendly fire.

The soldiers moving in this Russian column had terrible luck. Many helicopters of the local air force operate in the Kursk region, but few are as modern and advanced as the Ka-52M.

The Ka-52 Alligator is the newest Russian attack helicopter. The value of one unit is estimated at $16 million. The machine, weighing about 8,200 kilograms, is equipped with a 2A42 automatic cannon of 30 mm calibre and can also carry 9K38 Igla anti-aircraft missiles, laser-guided Vikhr anti-tank missiles, or S-8 unguided rockets. The Ka-52M is the latest variant, adapted to an even wider range of armament, including 9M123 Khrizantema missiles and "Project 305".

Unfortunately for the Russian forces operating in the Kursk region, two units of the 2S19M2 Msta-S were eliminated. This is the most modern barrel artillery currently used by the Russian army and one of the few considered a potential threat to NATO systems. It was introduced into service in 2013.

The 2S19M2 Msta-S uses 152 mm calibre guns. Standard shells provide a range of up to 29 kilometres and a rate of fire of up to 10 rounds per minute. These are noticeably better performances than the older 2S19, which had a rate of fire of 6 to 8 rounds per minute.