According to the British daily newspaper The Times, a Starstreak anti-aircraft system provided by the UK was used to shoot down a Russian Mi-28N helicopter over Luhansk. This is the first known case of its use during the war in Ukraine.
On Friday, a video was published showing the moment when the tail of the car falls off as a result of a hit by a Mi-28N helicopter. The incident took place in Lugansk in eastern Ukraine. A UK Defense Department source cited by The Times believes the video shows the use of the Starstreak system and added that the system has been deployed in Ukraine for almost a week. Also, high-ranking sources in the defense industry who investigated the video believe that the weapon was used.
Produced by the British company Thales Air Defense, Starstreak MANPADS are the most technically advanced weapons that the UK has offered to Ukraine, although it is not specified exactly how many were donated. Starstreak is designed to destroy fighters and helicopters that can be hit from a distance of up to 7 km. Rockets fired from it have speeds of over Mach 3, making them the world’s fastest short-range surface-to-air missiles.