UK missile shoots down first Russian helicopter in Ukraine war

Britain’s Starstreak missile system is believed to have shot down a Russian helicopter in its first use on the Ukrainian battlefield.

The Times reports today, Saturday, April 2, that footage showed the missile destroying the Russian chopper above the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine.

A Ministry of Defence source told the newspaper that the video showed Starstreak in action over Ukraine.

The source added that the Belfast-made anti-aircraft system had been deployed in the country for almost a week.

The Sun has dramatic footage of the event in which the Starstreak missile system is believed to have downed a Russian helicopter.

The Starstreak is the world’s fastest surface-to-air missile and can travel at three time the speed of sound.

Two crew on board the helicopter were reported to have survived the attack. It is unclear if they were captured by the Ukrainians, the Sun reports.

Britain has been one of the biggest contributors of military equipment to Ukraine. It intending to send 10,000 anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles and is providing £400 million in humanitarian and military support.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News last night that there will be “more lethal aid going into Ukraine.

“Ukraine needs longer-range artillery and that’s because of what the Russian army has been doing, which is now digging in and starting to pound these cities with artillery.

“The best counter to that is other long-range artillery, so [Ukraine will] be looking for and getting more long-range artillery, ammunition predominantly.

‘They are also looking for armoured vehicles of some types — not tanks necessarily, but certainly protective vehicles, and more anti-air [weapons].

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