Russian K-52s are on fire after all. Defender told about the defense of the airfield in Gostomel
The Ukrainian heroes of Gostomel were the first to show the world that the K-52 helicopters sung by the Russian invaders were still burning.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the occupiers have tried to seize Antonov airport. However, thanks to the reliable protection of the Ukrainian military, they were unable to do so.
Serhiy, a serviceman of the air defense brigade, told ICTV Facts about the defense of the airfield in Gostomel.
He was one of the first to notice enemy propellers in the sky above the airport. At that time, his air defense brigade was defending the area.
– I was here that day at Antonov airfield. On February 24, we were on duty and at about 4 am enemy rockets began to arrive in the Kyiv region, so we increased vigilance and the number of people in positions, – recalls Serhiy.
According to the serviceman, the day before the invasion, they received information that 32 K-52 attack helicopters had flown into Belarus. Therefore, they were preparing for this, but still hoped that Russia would intimidate Ukraine again.
– When the first batch (six) of K-52 helicopters flew in, we started working on them. About half an hour later, they spotted all the points of our air defense, so another batch of 32-33 helicopters arrived, – said the man.
25-year-old Serhiy recalls that at first he felt a rush of adrenaline, because he had never seen helicopters like the K-52 live. There was also a fear that they could not be shot down, because in Russia they said that they were “Alligators”, “APC with blades”, which are very heavy and armored.
– But when we opened fire on them and the first helicopter exploded in the air, we realized that they burn just like any other enemy aircraft. We could go on working,” says the serviceman.
Also, Ukrainian infantry later joined the defense. The defenders opened fire with submachine guns, machine guns and also shot down helicopters.
In total, Serhiy’s brigade shot down six enemy targets: air defense – four, small arms – two.
