Video shows Russian helicopter split in half by new UK missile system

Video has emerged that appears to show a Russian military helicopter being downed by a missile fired by Ukrainian soldiers, which The Times of London reports is the first use of a British-made anti-aircraft system.

⭕️🇺🇦#Ukraine: 🇷🇺 Russian Mi-28 helicopter was shot down today (on April 1,2022) pic.twitter.com/deXeV5fjOe

— 🅻-🆃🅴🅰🅼 (@L_Team10) April 1, 2022

Starstreak is the U.K.’s most advanced portable missile system, capable of taking out enemy aircrafts up to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) away with kinetic darts. It can be fired from the shoulder or a stand.

According to anonymous British officials, the video shows the system in action for the first time in Ukraine. The Russian Mi-28N attack helicopter was downed over the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine.

Unlike other anti-aircraft missiles, Starstreak is not a “fire and forget” system. The high-velocity projectile splits into three darts made of ultra-heavy tungsten as it flies and must be laser guided to targets by the operator on the ground, reports The Times. The missile accelerates up to 3,000 mph (4,800 kmph).

Starstreak benefits from a longer range than other portable anti-aircraft missile systems. Because it is manually led to its target, it is also virtually impossible for enemy aircraft to deploy counter measures like flares to distract the missile, which works on the heat-seeking U.S.-made Stinger.

Due to its high difficulty, soldiers must have 1,000 successful hits on a simulator before they are allowed to launch a live missile.

U.K. Starstreak operators and a simulator were sent to Ukraine alongside a shipment of the weapons in March. Sources told The Times that the video shows that some Ukrainian soldiers had successfully completed the rigorous training.

“It really is a step change in the capability of Ukrainians because its range is far greater. It’s absolutely lethal and you can bring down anything from a MiG to battle helicopters — and it’s incredibly accurate,” said one defense industry source.

The Ukrainian air force has repeatedly emphasized the importance of control over the skies, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request for a no-fly zone was rejected by the U.S and NATO.