Wagner PMC mercenaries shoot down two very rare Russian Mi-8MTPR-1 electronic warfare helicopters

In Russia, clashes have broken out between the private military company Wagner and security forces. Several aircraft have already been destroyed on the morning of 24 June.

Here's What We Know

Russian media are reporting the destruction of an Ilyushin Il-22 aircraft (video below) by the Russian Federation's aerospace forces. Mi-28, Ka-52 and Mi-35 helicopters have also taken to the skies. Rumour has it that an aerial bomb was dropped on the M-4, which leads to Moscow.

But much more interesting is the information that mercenaries from the Wagner PMC destroyed two very rare Russian electronic warfare helicopters Mi-8MTPR-1 at once. Below you can see a picture of one of them. Russia also lost two such helicopters in mid-May. And both were shot down on Russian territory itself, about 50km from the Ukrainian border.

The Mi-8MTPR-1 is used for jamming enemy aviation and air defence systems. The helicopter is equipped with an active jamming station Rychag-AV. It suppresses operation of aviation and antiaircraft missiles within a radius of over 100 km. The cost of the helicopter with the "Lever-AV" system is up to $10 million.