In the combat operations against the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the aggressor country is utilizing a total of 95 helicopters of the Mi-24 and Mi-35 types, 75 helicopters of the Ka-52 type, and 55 units of the Mi-28, amounting to 225 attack helicopters overall. These figures account for the fact that at least 30% of the entire fleet of their helicopters cannot be used by the aggressors due to various technical issues.
Against this backdrop, some Western military analysts have started to suggest that the aggressor's helicopters have become the "worst nightmare" for our fighters. However, what to do with this information, aside from acknowledging it, remains somewhat unclear.
The portal Janes cites the words of Colonel Emiliano Pellegrini of the Italian Army, who presented the aforementioned data on the number of attack helicopters being used by Russia in battles against the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
He provided these figures during his speech at the International Military Helicopter Conference (IMH) IQPC 2025, currently taking place in London, where an emotional assessment was made that the aggressor's attack helicopters have transformed from "easy targets" into the "worst nightmare" for our defenders, due to changes in tactics and improvements in the capabilities of the machines.
The significance of these words is underscored by the fact that Colonel Pellegrini represented the Joint Air Power Competence Centre of NATO countries (JAPCC) at this conference, allowing for the generalization of "Western military". However, since only assessments were voiced and no conclusions made, it remains unclear what should be done with this data.
On one hand, the figures provided above offer a clear understanding of which types of attack helicopters Russia is using most actively in the war against Ukraine, revealing that it is indeed the Mi-24/35, rather than the more frequently mentioned Ka-52 and Mi-28. For clarity, it is worth noting the data from The Military Balance 2024, which states that at the beginning of last year, Russia had a total of 108 Mi-24 helicopters and 56 Mi-35s, 65 Ka-52s, and 20 Ka-52Ms, along with about 100 Mi-28s of all modifications, summing up to 340 attack helicopters (of which a total of 225 are being used in combat operations).
On the other hand, it remains unclear from the statements of the Italian representative of JAPCC what the Alliance plans to do with this data. Specifically, does NATO intend to invest more resources into its army's air defense capabilities to counter not only hostile UAVs but also enemy attack helicopters?
Alternatively, could there be another perspective—are the Alliance countries considering changes to their plans regarding the acquisition of new helicopters or the modernization of existing ones, particularly involving the "crossbreeding" of helicopters and drones?
