Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter destroyed near Avdiiivka with MANPADS

But there is a nuance, fly in the ointment, Ukrainian military observer Oleksandr Kovalenko says.

The helicopter was shot down with MANPADS. Optimally, in frontline conditions, it is 3-4 kilometres. So the Ka-52 flew so close to the contact line that it was shot down with MANPADS? Why? Only because it was being used as artillery compensation, for strikes with unguided aircraft rockets.

My first thought is that the Russian forces lacked artillery systems in the Avdiivka direction and started using the Ka-52 as an airborne ersatz artillery system. Logical and it's not for the first time, but it's not quite the case.

Russian forces are trying by all available means to speed up the capture of Avdiivka as much as possible. Russian troops were tasked with capturing the town within the next 2 weeks. And now, helicopters are being thrown to the slaughter at maximum proximity. They do not spare anything, the main thing - to capture the town before Putin's address to the Federal Assembly.

On the whole, the episode is very positive in terms of losses of the Russian equipment, but not so much in terms of the Russian commanders sparing neither men nor equipment. They will use every means for the sake of situational and locational results.